


I Will Love You After

by SeaBur



Series: The Tracker Ninja Series [1]
Category: Naruto
Genre: F/M, Friendship, Romance
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2009-03-15
Updated: 2009-03-14
Packaged: 2017-10-17 22:57:34
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 11
Words: 24,746
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/182203
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/SeaBur/pseuds/SeaBur
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff"><p>Music inspires me a lot in my stories so at the beginning of each chapter of this story, I'll give you a chapter song. I'll give you the title of the song and I'll post either all or part of the lyrics. So, yeah. If you have the time, look up these songs. They're all songs that I like and usually fit very well with what's going on in the chapter. So, here's this chapter's song.</p><p><b><span class="u">Chapter Song:</span></b> We're Going To Be Friends - The White Stripes</p><p><i>And when I wake tomorrow I'll bet<br/>That you and I will walk together again<br/>'Cause I can tell that we are gonna be friends</i></p></blockquote>





	1. A New Beginning

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Music inspires me a lot in my stories so at the beginning of each chapter of this story, I'll give you a chapter song. I'll give you the title of the song and I'll post either all or part of the lyrics. So, yeah. If you have the time, look up these songs. They're all songs that I like and usually fit very well with what's going on in the chapter. So, here's this chapter's song.
> 
>  **Chapter Song:** We're Going To Be Friends - The White Stripes
> 
>  _And when I wake tomorrow I'll bet  
>  That you and I will walk together again  
> 'Cause I can tell that we are gonna be friends_

_Years and years ago lived a brave Knight. He was a kind knight but very distant one. He never really talked to people. He kept to himself most of the time. The Princess of the land ran into him one day and they became best friends. The Knight was still very quiet but when the Princess talked to him, he wouldn't even think twice about talking with her. The Princess fell in love with the Knight but she was afraid that he didn't love her back. So she kept it to herself. But then the Knight did some very bad things and got in big trouble. The Knight didn't want to go to where they put all the other bad people so he ran from the village. The poor Princess was heart-broken. She didn't know what to do. She decided that no matter what, she still loved him. So she left the village to find the Knight. When she did, she realized he hadn't changed one bit. She realized he wasn't really a bad guy. He was told to do the bad things by someone else. He hated himself so much though for what he did. She didn't know how to convince him to come back. So she did the only thing she could think to do; she told him that she was in love with him. The Knight couldn't believe someone as sweet as the Princess could love someone who had done the things he had but he was happy because he had fallen in love with her while they were friends, too. So the Knight agreed to go back with her. The village wasn't happy at first but when they heard that he was told to do those things, they were glad the brave Knight had come home. Neither of them could believe it, but in the end, the Knight and the Princess were able to live together, happily ever after._

"Tell me another story, Nii-chan!" Emiko shouted at Fumio just as he spoke the last words of his first story.

"Not tonight, Ems. It's time for you to get to bed. Tomorrow's your first day at the ninja academy. We wouldn't want you falling asleep in class because you stayed up too late listening to stories, would we?" Fumio said, smiling at her.

Emiko sighed. "I guess not. Will you tell me another one tomorrow night, then?" she asked hopefully.

"Of course I will. Goodnight, sweetie," he replied.

Fumio kissed Emiko's forehead and pulled the covers up to her chest. Even at her young age of six, Emiko knew just how lucky she was to have an big brother as great as Fumio. Fumio was eleven years older than Emiko and has been taking care of her all by himself for three years now, ever since their parents were killed on a mission in Sunagakure. The death of their parents never bothered Emiko much since she never really knew them but she could see that it greatly effected Fumio. Of course, since he was trying to be strong for his little sister, he fought so hard to hide it.

"Nighty night, Nii-chan," she said sleepily.

Emiko yawned. No matter how much she wanted to hear another story, she couldn't deny she was tired. She curled up in ball on her side and drifted off to sleep.

 _There was blood every where. On the walls, on the ground, on the bodies that lay on the floor, but worst of all, on the man sitting in the corner. It was too dark. Emiko couldn't see who the man was. But she saw a little boy come running into the house she was in. She could see the tears in his eyes and his lips moving but couldn't hear anything. She couldn't even see him very well. Everything was a pale black except for the blood. The blood was a very bright red._

 _Suddenly the scene changed. But it didn't make any more sense than the last one. It was a pitch black room and all Emiko could see was an older version over herself. Probably twelve or thirteen years old. And she crying; screaming at the sky. This time, Emiko could hear. Oh boy, she could hear. She could hear the pain and sadness behind each cry this older self made; by each word she screamed out. Emiko wanted to know what was going on so she tried listening to what the older her was saying. "Why?" she screamed out. "Why would you do this? Why would you do this to me? Why would you do this to your very own little brother? I don't understand . . . Help me understand! Please . . . COME BACK!"_

Emiko shot up. She was back in her own room, in her own bed. _Just a dream_ , she told herself. She was shaking all over and her breathing was heavy.

"Emiko? Are you alright? You were screaming."

Emiko hadn't noticed Fumio by her side. She nodded her head and hugged him.

"Just a bad dream," she said quietly.

"Tell me about it, it might help," Fumio suggested, hugging her close to him.

Emiko knew the dreams were important. There was something about them that just seemed so important that she couldn't bare to let go. If she told Fumio the dreams, he'd try to make her forget them. So Emiko just shook her head and whimpered.

"I don't want to talk about."

Then, in an effort to stop from worrying Fumio, she jumped out of bed with her normal bright smile on her face. Fumio looked at her with worried eyes and Emiko just continued to smile at him. He sighed, knowing he wouldn't be able to force it out of her, and stood up.

"Come on, Ems. We'll go get you some breakfast and then you can get ready," Fumio said.

Emiko took his hand and followed him into the kitchen. Emiko sat on the counter and helped Fumio mix up some pancake batter. As the pancakes were cooking, Emiko brushed out her bright orange hair and got dressed in her usual dark green tank top and shorts. By the time she had finished and skipped back to the kitchen, Fumio had a plate sitting on the table for her. This surprised her. She usually ate breakfast sitting on the counter and Fumio would eat standing up. Still curious, Emiko sat down at the table and looked up at Fumio.

"Sorry, Ems. I have to leave early today. Kimi's parents are in town and she wants me to meet them," he said, rolling his eyes.

Kimi was Fumio's girlfriend of six years now. Meeting her parents was not something he was looking forward to. Emiko wasn't looking forward to him meeting Kimi's parents, either. Probably for basically the same reason Fumio wasn't looking forward to it. There was a big chance that her parents would end up hating him.

They haven't really liked him at all since he first started dating Kimi, even though they've never actually met him. When Fumio and Kimi started dated, they were only eleven. Her parents were furious, claiming she was too young for a boyfriend. Kimi didn't listen to her parents, though. She moved in with her aunt, who loved Fumio, and her parents moved away to god knows where. They've never visited before. Emiko was very curious as to why they decided to visit now.

"Can I trust you to brush your teeth when you're done and get to class on time?" Fumio asked with a goofy "serious" face.

Emiko giggled and shook her head no. She didn't really mean no, she just wanted to see what her big brother would do. Fumio faked a gasp and shook her playfully.

"No? What do you mean _'No'_?" he asked.

Emiko laughed as he continued to shake her. Suddenly, he stopped, taking in a deep breath through his nose. He puffed out his chest, folded his arms, and stared down at her.

"Do you know what that means?" Emiko shook her head, a smile on her face. "It means . . . it means the tickle monster is going to get you!"

Fumio started tickling Emiko in all the places he knew affected her the most. Both of them were laughing the whole time. After a moment, Fumio stood up, frowning slightly. Emiko frowned too, knowing this meant he had to leave. She was having fun with Fumio and didn't want him to go. Actually, she just didn't like being without him. She was used to being with him from the time she wakes up until the time she has to go to bed. Suddenly, she wasn't looking forward to having to go to the ninja academy.

"I have to go now. You'll be a good girl during class, right?" Emiko just nodded her head. "That's my girl," Fumio said, ruffling her hair. "I love you, Emi."

"I love you, too, Nii-chan," she replied.

Fumio smiled and kissed Emiko's forehead before leaving. Emiko turned back to her food and she couldn't help but giggle. Fumio had made a smiley face with whip cream. She then noticed that on the napkin set under it he wrote "Mr. Pancake here isn't nearly as gorgeous as I am but he should do until I get back. Love you lots, Fumio." This made her laugh even harder. Thanks to the pancakes and the note, Emiko was feeling a lot better about having to go to the academy.

As soon as she was done eating, Emiko brushed her teeth just like Fumio asked her to. The happiness she felt while eating the pancake wore of now as she walked to school all by herself. So she pulled out the music player that Fumio had bought earlier that year and put on a funny song that her and Fumio loved dancing around to. She was filled with joy again as she skipped down the streets, singing along with the song.

"Gotta be green, gotta be mean, gotta be everything more, why don't you like me, why don't yo- oof!"

Emiko fell on the ground as she made contact with a solid object. She turned off the music and looked up. There was a boy about her age standing there. He didn't say anything, didn't really show any emotion, but he offered Emiko his hand. She took hold of it and he helped her up off the ground.

"Sorry. I wasn't paying attention," Emiko said, brushing herself off.

The boy smiled a very small smile at her.

"It's okay," he said.

Emiko took a better look at who she had ran into. He definitely was her age but quite a bit taller. He had black hair that was pulled back into a small pony tail. His eyes almost matched his hair, being a dark onyx color. Besides that small smile, there wasn't too much emotion on his face. Actually, there really wasn't any at all. That smile looked more like he was trying to be polite but it wasn't like he wasn't feeling anything, it was more like he didn't feel the need to show it. Emiko smiled brightly at him. She felt like he'd be one of those kids that wouldn't end up with many friends. Since she didn't think that would be a pleasant thing for anyone to go through, she decided right then and there that she'd be his friend.

"I'm Emiko. Hama Emiko," she told him, still smiling brightly.

"Uchiha Itachi," he replied.

Just then, the bell at the academy rung. Knowing that if he really was her age, he'd be starting at the academy today, too, Emiko grabbed his arm.

"We're going to be late!" she called to Itachi as she ran towards the academy, dragging him behind her.

Emiko quickly sat down and though she wasn't sure he really would, Itachi took the seat next to her. She smiled at him and he smiled back. His smile was different this time. It wasn't just a polite smile, it was a true smile. It was a bit of a shy smile but a genuine one none the less.

Class dragged on and on. Emiko was afraid it was never going to end. She had a difficult time with even just the simple things they learned today and was grateful to be sitting with Itachi who willingly helped her out with anything she didn't understand. Itachi seemed to know most everything before the teacher explained them. Of course, Emiko knew they were only learning basic things since it was the first day. She knew it was possible that Itachi would not know as much as they went on in their academy training but somehow found it unlikely.

"That was horrible! And to think the work is only going to get harder from here. Maybe I just wasn't cut out to be a ninja."Emiko sighed, knowing this was probably true as she walked out of the academy with Itachi still by her side.

"You shouldn't give up so easily. Our sensei is pretty advanced. He doesn't explain things in easy terms. That's all," Itachi said.

"It wouldn't be a surprise if I couldn't do it. My parents were the first ones on both sides of the family to ever become ninjas. Even my ani wasn't very good at it," Emiko explained.

"But your parents were. Hama Yuu and Hama Rin. They were ANBU captains, weren't they?" Itachi asked.

"Yes," Emiko said quietly, frowning.

Itachi was proving her wrong and like most little kids, Emiko didn't like being wrong.

"See? I bet you'll be a great ninja one day," Itachi told her confidently.

"Humph."

Emiko folded her arms over her chest in a huff. Itachi laughed quietly causing Emiko to stick her tongue out at him. Itachi walked with Emiko all the way to her house. She grab hold of the doorknob, only to realize it was locked and wouldn't turn. She sighed and sat down on the steps in front of their house.

"I guess Nii-chan isn't home yet," Emiko said to herself.

"Why don't you come with me to my home? It isn't always safe to sit outside by yourself," Itachi suggest.

Emiko knew Fumio would be upset if he came home and she wasn't there but Itachi had a point. Besides, Fumio wouldn't be mad at her and it'd be very easy for him to find her once he did get home. So Emiko smiled, standing up.

"Are you sure? I mean, your parents won't be mad or anything, right?" she asked and Itachi laughed.

"No, they won't. Come on," he said, smiling at her.

Emiko smiled back and skipped down the steps. She ran up to Itachi, grabbing his hand. Itachi led Emiko back to his home, allowing her to hold his hand the whole way. Once they got there, Itachi finally pulled his hand away from her's in order to slide open the front door. He smiled at Emiko and let her enter first. Emiko saw a very beautiful woman sitting on the floor with a little baby boy in her arms. Well, not that little. He had to be at least a year old.

"Itati!" the little boy shouted, running up to Itachi.

Itachi smiled and sat down, hugging him. The little boy sat in Itachi's lap, facing him, and just started playing with his shirt. Emiko leaned down and looked at the little boy, smiling. He was so cute! When Emiko looked up, she noticed the woman standing there, smiling at the three of them.

"Hello, Itachi. And who's this?" She asked, looking over at Emiko.

"This is Emiko. Emi, this is my mother. And _this_ is my baby brother, Sasuke."

"Hello Emiko. I assume today was your first day at the academy, too?" Emiko nodded. "Well, it's nice to see Itachi made a friend."

Itachi rolled his eyes. He lifted Sasuke up to his mom who took him back into her arms. Itachi stood up and smiled at Emiko who was still looking at Sasuke. Sasuke stared back, tilting his head to the side. Emiko remembered that when she did that to Fumio, he'd always mimic her actions and it would always make her laugh. So, she decided to try the same thing by tilting her head the way Sasuke had. Sasuke seemed curious and decided to tilt his head to the other side. Emiko followed, smiling at him. Sasuke smiled and tilted his head back the other way again. Again, Emiko followed. Sasuke laughed and clapped his hands then tried doing other things like lifting up his arm or his leg. Emiko continued to follow each movement he did. Itachi's mother laughed along with Emiko and Sasuke while Itachi continued to watch, smiling brightly. This went on for quiet a while until Sasuke finally started yawning.

"I think somebody needs a nap," Emiko said, giggling.

"I think you're right. Come on, Sasuke," Itachi's mother replied.

"Bye-bye Itati. Bye-bye Emi," Sasuke said in that cute childish voice of his, waving.

Emiko and Itachi both waved back.

"He's so cute. You're lucky to have him as a little brother," Emiko said, smiling at Itachi.

"I know I am." Itachi replied, smiling back.

"Emiko, Itachi. Are you two hungry? I can make you something if you like," his mother asked as she walked back into the room.

Emiko never liked saying she was hungry when at someone else's house; it just felt rude to her but she didn't have any choice when Itachi looked at her, showing he wasn't going to say yes if she wasn't hungry.

"I-I guess," she stuttered.

"Okay," Itachi's mother said, smiling at her. "Would you guys like ramen, sushi, omusubi, or-"

"Omusubi!" Emiko and Itachi both shouted at the same time before his mother could finish her list.

Emiko and Itachi looked at each other and laughed. His mother smiled, shaking her head at the two of them. She made up a few rice balls and set them on a plate for Itachi and Emiko to share. As they ate, Emiko blab on and on about nothing in particular and even told some jokes. She was used to people telling her to shut up because she talked too much but Itachi just sat, listening with a smile on his face, even laughing at all of her jokes.

"I'm sorry. Am I talking to much? I'm probably boring you with my lame jokes, aren't I?" Emiko asked, staring at the ground as she took another bite.

"No, it's okay. I like listening to you. And you're funnier than you give yourself credit for," Itachi insisted, smiling at her.

"Really?" Emiko asked hopefully, smiling brightly.

Itachi nodded his head. Emiko opened her mouth to start talking again but there was a knock at the door. Out of habit, Emiko jumped up and ran to answer it. Fumio was standing there with Kimi by his side. Itachi suddenly appeared by Emiko's side. She glanced over at him then looked back at Fumio and Kimi.

"Hi Nii-chan! Hi Kimi!" Emiko shouted, smiling up at them. Fumio opened his mouth to say something but Emiko was talking before he could even take a breath. "Sorry. I know I didn't stay at home but you weren't there and Itachi offered to let me stay at his house and I didn't want to just sit on the house steps so I agreed to come here and I met his mommy and his little brother and I played that game with Sasuke that you used to play with me and we were laughing and everything and . . . and . . . and we had rice balls!"

"Well, sounds like you had fun," Kimi said as her and Fumio laughed.

"She sure did. I'm Mikoto. Uchiha Mikoto," Itachi's mother said as she came up behind Itachi, having heard the knock on the door.

She held out her hand, smiling. Fumio smiled back as he shook her hand.

"I'm Hama Fumio and this is my girlfriend, Yano Kimi."

"Nice to meet you both. Apparently Emiko and my son Itachi here became friends at the academy today," Mikoto said, placing her hands on Itachi's shoulders.

"I heard. Their sensei told me said he saw them leaving together. That's why we decided to come and see if she was here," Fumio replied, smiling down at Emiko.

"Nii-chan, can I stay? Please, please, please?" Emiko asked, jumping up and down.

"Well that's not really up to me, Ems," Fumio, glancing up at Mikoto.

"Uchiha-san, can I stay for a bit longer, please?" Emiko asked, being as polite as possible.

"Of course, dear. You're welcome to stay as long as you want. Or, as long as your brother will let you, that is."

Kimi, Fumio, and Mikoto laughed. Emiko really liked Itachi and didn't really want to leave his side. She'd be much happier if they somehow got glued together. But with Mikoto's words an idea formed in Emiko's head. Sure, she couldn't stay here forever but she could at least spend the night, right? She was afraid to ask, feeling it would be very rude, but she didn't have to.

"Kaa-san, can Emi spend the night?" Itachi asked.

"If she wants to and if it's okay with Fumio-san," Mikoto replied, looking down at Emiko first.

"Sure! Nii-chan, can I? PLEASE!" Emiko begged.

"I don't see why not. Just don't stay up too late because you still have class tomorrow," Fumio replied.

"Don't worry, I'll make sure they're both asleep at a reasonable time," Mikoto assured him with a smile.

"Well, it's settled then," Fumio said.

"Yay!" Emiko shouted.

"Alright, I'll see you tomorrow then, Ems."

Emiko ran up to Fumio and gave him a big hug and a kiss. She found it funny how earlier today, she wasn't sure how she would get by without him by her side. But now, though she knew she'd miss him, as long as she was with Itachi, she knew she'd be just fine. It was like she had to have one of them by her side at all times.

"Hey, don't I get a hug and a kiss, too?" Kimi said with a pouty face as Emiko was about to go back to eating with Itachi.

Emiko giggled and ran up to Kimi, hugging her tightly and letting her kiss her cheek. After their goodbyes, Emiko and Itachi went back to eating their snack and talking. They both had fun playing with Sasuke when he woke up from his nap. Before they knew it, Mikoto came in telling them they needed to head to bed. Emiko slept in Itachi's bed with him; two little kids cuddled up together as best friends. Emiko fell asleep, praying she and Itachi would always be friends.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello,
> 
> Thanks for reading! The song used in the story is Grace Kelly by Mika. Also, I apologize here and now if any of the original Naruto characters seem out of character but the thing is, Itachi wasn't always Mr. Serious. Sure, he didn't have a lot of friends but if you remember the flash backs of him and Sasuke, he smiled and laughed and everything. He was _normal_ back then! Haha. So, yeah, he'll be out of character most of my story. Anyways, please, please review! It makes me feel special. Haha. Oh and two more things! First, not all the chapters of _I Will Love You After . . ._ will be as long as this one. This one is very long compared to what I usually write. Two, for the next couple of chapters it's going to be age jumping. Haha. Like, I mean, in this chapter Itachi and Emiko are six. The next chapter they'll be seven, the next they'll be twelve, next they'll be thirteen, and then from then on they'll be eighteen unless I tell you otherwise. Okie dokie? Don't worry, I'll remind you of their age as time goes on. Haha.
> 
> -Chelsea(:


	2. A New Beginning

**Notes for the Chapter:**

>  **Chapter Song:** Umbrella - All Time Low (Okay, it's actually by Rihanna I just prefer All Time Low's version but either works.)
> 
>  _When the sun shines, we'll shine together  
>  Told you I'll be here forever  
> Said I'll always be a friend  
> Took an oath  
> I'mma stick it out 'til the end  
> Now that it's raining more than ever  
> Know that we'll still have each other_

For the past year, Emiko and Itachi had literally spent almost every waking moment together. For Emiko, even in her sleep, Itachi was always with her for he was in every dream she had. They really were inseparable. Emiko never knew she could have such a strong bond with someone. Especially with someone who was completely opposite of her. Itachi was pretty quiet and usually very slow to anger. Emiko, on the other hand, was loud and quick-tempered. She was surprised Itachi kept hanging out with her. She'd never had friends before because they got so annoyed with her and yet, Itachi continued to stick by her side. What surprised Emiko even more was just how much she liked Itachi; how strong her feelings about him were. She was seven years old and already she felt like she wouldn't ever be able to go on without him.

Emiko sighed and rested her head on her hands. Itachi had been gone for almost an hour now and class was even worse without him. Itachi was the one who would always help Emiko understand things; without him all she could do was sit there listening to a bunch of terms she didn't understand. Even by the time class was over, Itachi still wasn't back so Emiko waited outside the academy for him. It took about half an our but finally, Itachi walked out.

"Finally! What was that all about?" Emiko asked. Then she noticed the ninja headband in Itachi's hand. "You . . . you graduate?"

Itachi smiled slightly and nodded. Emiko was . . . well she didn't really know how to feel. She wanted to be happy for Itachi but it was hard.

"Congrats," she said quietly.

Itachi and Emiko held hands as they began walking home, just like they always did but Emiko stared at the ground almost the whole way there. She was lost in thought. Itachi graduated. That meant he would be going out on missions and wouldn't be coming to the academy anymore. That meant Emiko wouldn't have someone to explain things to her but worse than that it meant that she wouldn't be able see Itachi as often. She wouldn't see him at class and if he starts getting sent out on missions, who knows when she'll see him out of class.

"What's wrong?" Itachi asked, interrupting her thoughts.

"I . . . Well, I'm happy for you, really. It's just . . . with all the missions you'll be getting, we won't be able to see each other like ever. It's just not fair."

Emiko let go of his hand and sat down by a tree, closing her eyes. She felt a couple tears escape from her eyes but before they could fall down her cheeks, they were wiped away by a cool hand. Emiko opened her eyes and saw Itachi kneeling down in front of her. She couldn't understand the look in his eyes. It was like . . . like he had realized something; something about himself. She couldn't understand what self-realization he could've had at a time like this.

Itachi started slowly leaning forward and Emiko could've sworn he was going to kiss her. But then he pulled her into a tight hug. For a minute, both of them just sat there, unmoving. Finally, Emiko wrapped her arms around him, returning the hug and she could feel more tears falling down.

"We'll still see each other. Emi-chan, I promise . . . No . . . I _swear_ . . . I'll _never_ let _anything_ keep us apart," he told her.

"Never?" Emiko choked out, still unsure.

"Never," he repeated with such confidence that Emiko couldn't help but believe him.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey!
> 
> See? I told you some would be shorter. Actually, the first chapter was probably the longest they're going to get and this one is probably the shortest they'll ever get. So, what did Itachi realize about himself? Do you know? Because I do! But I'm not telling... :P Hahaha. You'll find out later but feel free to guess if you want. Of course, I won't tell you if your right. I just like to see what people come up with. Though, if you think about it, it's actually obvious. Okay, now I'm giving away too much. Haha. Alright, well, that's all for now.
> 
> -Chelsea(:


	3. Betrayal

**Notes for the Chapter:**

>  **  
>  Chapter Song: Scream - Tokio Hotel   
> **
> 
> _Scream, 'til you feel it  
>  Scream, 'til you believe  
> Scream, and when it hurts you  
> Scream it out loud  
> Shut up!_
> 
>  _No, 'cause you feel it  
>  No, 'cause you believe it  
> No, and when it hurts you  
> Scream it out loud  
> No! No! No! No! No! No!  
> Scream it out loud  
> Scream!_

"Ems, where are you going? You still have a while before school starts," Fumio said as Emiko was about to walk out the door.

"I know but I have to leave early because I'm going to go over to the Uchiha's so Sasuke-kun and I can walk together," she replied.

"Okay. You remember what I told you last night, right?" he asked nervously.

Emiko smiled brightly and nodded her head then left before Fumio had another panic attack. Last night Fumio had told her he was planning to propose to Kimi but he needed her help. Instead of coming home after school, Emiko was supposed hide in the bushes by the lake. Fumio would bring Kimi there and when he gave the "signal," Emiko is supposed to pop out with the ring. Fumio was terrified that Kimi would say no, even though Emiko kept telling him there's no way she would because Kimi loves him so much.

As she walked by herself, her smiled faded quickly. It was never a real smile anymore. It was impossible to be happy when her best friend was completely ignoring her. For a while, Itachi did he best to keep his promise. He did a very good job, too. However, about a year ago, he completely stopped talking to Emiko. Since Sasuke had become like a little brother to her, she tried asking him about it. All he could tell her is that he had become very distant; that he wasn't talking to anyone anymore.

Emiko kept that fake smile on her face every time she wasn't alone; especially around Fumio and Sasuke. She didn't want Fumio worrying and she felt she had to be strong for Sasuke. He was upset that Itachi was acting this way, too. Plus, he was seven years old and he was determined to graduate. Emiko kept telling him it didn't matter if he graduated or not; considering she was twelve and still hadn't graduated yet. That didn't stop Sasuke, though. He _had_ to be just like his brother. Nothing anyone could say would change that about him. Little did Sasuke know, he was already so much like Itachi. Emiko saw Itachi in little Sasuke countless times, each and every day.

Emiko loved Sasuke as if he were truly her little brother but because he was so like Itachi, it was very hard for her to be around him. It was like a constant reminder that the real Itachi had broke his promise; broke her heart.

Emiko was pulled out of her thoughts as she just barely stopped herself from running into the door of the Uchiha's home.

"Auto-pilot," she mumbled, annoyed.

Auto-pilot was a term she had come to know very well ever since Itachi stopped talking to her. It was a simple term; auto-pilot is when you're lost in thought or not paying attention and you're feet will carry you to places you know the best. Just as if they were on auto-pilot.

Emiko took a step back, not wanting to be only an inch away when they slid open the door, then knocked. She stood there, rocking back to her heels then forward to her toes and back again, and held her arms behind her back. She almost forgot to put that smile on her face. Luckily, it was there before Sasuke had opened the door. He smiled up at her and grabbed his backpack before walking out with her.

"Bye, Kaa-san!" he shouted as he ran ahead.

Sasuke turned around so that he was walking backwards, facing Emiko. Emiko laughed, shaking her head. Sasuke was so weird sometimes. Her laughter stopped as soon as she saw that face. Not Sasuke's face . . . not the faces of all the other Uchihas around her . . . but _his_ face. Itachi was sitting down, only a few feet away. The eyes that once held so much love towards her now held nothing. They were lifeless as they stared at her. It was like the first time she met her. No . . . it was much worse than the first time she met him. Because back then, although he was emotionless, he still had life in him. There was absolutely nothing now. It scared her. What could've possibly happened to make him like this, to take every bit of life out of him?

Then, so suddenly that it scared Emiko half to death, there was life back in his eyes. But it wasn't the kind of life Emiko wanted to see. It was sadness . . . no, not sadness. Even that would've been better than this. It was like he was sitting there, begging for death to take over him. And just as suddenly as it came, it was gone. The lifeless eyes were back and then they turned to stare at the ground. Something was wrong. It wasn't that he didn't want to talk to people anymore. He didn't seem to have a choice.

"Emi?"

Sasuke's voice pulled Emiko out of her thoughts. She turned her head back to look down at him. He was still smiling up at her. He didn't notice what just happened at all.

"Why haven't you graduated yet?" he asked.

"Because I suck," Emiko replied, laughing.

"Really? That's not what Itachi used to tell me," he said.

"What did I- . . . Ita- . . . What did he say?"

Somehow, Emiko couldn't even force herself to say his name. Sasuke noticed this and looked at her curiously, but decided not to push for it and continued on.

"He said you just weren't like the other ninja. He said you had a different type of power . . . and because it's something that's never been seen before, no one else has noticed it yet. Not even you," he explained.

"He said that?" Emiko asked, her eyes wide.

Was Itachi lying to Sasuke? Or had he really noticed something . . . some type of power . . . that even Emiko herself hadn't noticed yet?

"Yeah. He said he noticed that you always knew exactly where to find someone, no matter who it was or where they were. He began to think that maybe it was something more than just instinct or luck. He tried testing his theory. Of course, he said he hasn't found anything really solid yet but he still believes that you have that power. Like, I guess it's sort of a tracking power," he explained.

"Humph."

Emiko quickly became lost in thought. Could she really have a tracking power? She thought about what Sasuke had said and realized Itachi was right. She did always know where to find him, Sasuke, Kimi, Mrs. Uchiha, Fumio, their sensei, just about everyone they knew. She'd never really thought about it before, never really noticed it.

"Emiko."

Emiko snapped out of her thoughts. She looked up and saw her sensei, the Third Hokage, along with an ANBU captain and his team standing in front of the academy. Sasuke stared for a moment before running off to class.

"Yes, Dai-sensei?" Emiko asked, since he was the one who had spoke.

"Come with us," the Hokage said, smiling at her.

Emiko followed the six people to a clearing in the middle of the forest.

"Pay close attention, Emiko," Dai-sensei told her as they all turned to face her.

Emiko nodded and looked at the ANBU captain as he began to speak.

"Emiko, we received word that you might have an ability in tracking," he said.

"There hasn't been a tracker ninja in thousands of years but they did exist at one time," one of his teammates said.

"Even back then, they were very rare," the other teammate added.

Who could've told them? How'd they find out? Emiko didn't understand.

"We have a test for you," the last teammate of the ANBU squad said.

"Mind you, if you do pass, being a tracker ninja will be extremely difficult. It'll take lots of practice, patience, and stamina. Not to mention you'll end up using more chakra than most people would use in ten lifetimes." the captain explained in a warning tone.

"Because of this, Emiko, we are giving you a choice. Is becoming a tracker ninja a burden you are willing to carry?" the Hokage asked her.

Instead of just shouting out yes like most headstrong kids would, Emiko decided to think this through. Did she really have the strength to become something like a tracker ninja? It's been thousands of years since there's been one which means she wouldn't have someone to teach her. She'd have to learn this all by herself. Of course, if she said no, she'd likely never become a ninja. Something deep inside her stirred. The little voice in the back of her head was telling her to say yes, telling her that she'd need these skills one day, telling her that she was strong enough to stick with it, telling her she _had_ to do this.

"Yes," Emiko finally said.

The confidence in her voice shocked her. She didn't know this was something she felt so strongly about. It reminded her of that night she had those scary dreams six years ago. Back then and even now, she knows they're important, she knows she'll need them one day, but she doesn't know why or when. It's the same thing now. She knows she needs to become a tracker but she doesn't know why or when it'll be useful to her instead of just the village.

"Very well. Then here's what we're going to do. It's a very simple test. The six of us are going to split up. Staying out of sight and being unnoticed is a very strong attribute in ninjas, especially advanced ninjas such as ourselves. If you can find us, then we'll give you you're ninja headband and you will train under me as the first tracker ninja in a very long time. If you can't, nothing will change. You'll go back to the academy and work towards graduating to be a ninja like every other kid. Understood?" the ANBU captain explained.

"Understood," she repeated back to him.

"Count to ten and then start looking," he said.

Then, they were gone. The six of them disappearing at the same time, quicker than Emiko had seen, other than when she was with Itachi. Itachi . . . what could be wrong with him? Emiko shook her head, trying to clear her mind. She needed to focus.

"One . . ." she began, whispering quietly to herself with her eyes closed. "Two . . . Three . . . Four . . . Five . . . Six . . . Seven . . . Eight . . . Nine . . ."

Emiko's eyes opened and she smiled slightly. Adrenaline was suddenly running through Emiko's body like flames were consuming her from the inside out. She'd never felt this way before. That's how she knew that tracking really was what she was born to do.

"Ten."

And she was off. There was some type of . . . force guiding her. Like an invisible rope tied around her waist, tugging at her. She knew better than to ignore it. She followed it and it lead her straight to Dai-sensei. He smiled at her, nodding his head as a sort of congratulations. The rope was suddenly tugging her in a different direction. Dai-sensei followed behind her as she rushed through the trees. The next person she found was one of the ANBU team members. Then she found another, and then the last one. Then she found the Hokage. Lastly, she found the ANBU captain.

"Very good, Emiko. Not only did you find all of us, but you did it in an incredibly fast. Congratulations." the Hokage said, holding out a ninja headband to her.

Emiko's eyes widen. She couldn't believe it. She had graduated. She was a ninja now. A tracker ninja. She slowly reached her hand out and took the headband from him. Emiko turned around and faced her new sensei, the ANBU captain. She was surprised when he removed the animal mask from his face. ANBU weren't supposed to reveal who they were, right? Maybe it was different because he was going to train her now. He looked young. Very young, actually. He was probably only nineteen or so. She was so caught up in what he was doing that she hadn't noticed they were alone until now.

"My name is Saji Jun. Before we jump in to all the training, we're going to start with the oh-so-fun books. You'll be doing a lot of studying. I'm no tracker ninja and there isn't another one, besides you, that exist today. I can't teach you everything, I can really only monitor your progress. You'll be learning a lot of this stuff on you're own. Of course, if you don't know what you're doing, that doesn't help. I've read the books about tracker ninjas. I know everything they've recorded in old records but you have to know it since you'll be teaching yourself. Make sense?"

"Yes, Jun-sensei," Emiko replied, smiling up at him.

He smiled back and ruffled her hair. Emiko spent the whole day reading books about the legends of tracker ninjas and discussing them with Jun. She learned so much about what being a tracker ninja is really like and just how hard it would be. But she was willing to do it. She was willing to fight through all the hard training she was going to have to go through. She was willing to spend all her time training with Jun. She was willing to give her whole life to becoming a tracker ninja.

"Whoa. I think we should be done for now," Jun said.

"But Jun-sensei, I'm not ready to go home yet. There still so much to learn!" Emiko whined.

"Yes but you don't have to learn everything today. Besides, it's six in the morning. The sun is already starting to rise. I'm sure your brother is very worried about you."

"Six in the morning? Shoot! I was supposed to help him last night. Crap! You're right . . . I need to get home! Thank you, Jun-sensei. I'll see you tomorrow!" Emiko shouted as she ran out quickly.

"Bye, Emiko!" Jun shouted after her.

She forgot all about the proposal. She wondered if Fumio had gone ahead and done it without her or not. She also wondered if he was freaking out about her being gone for so long. She hadn't even noticed that much time had gone by. But it had. Jun was right, the sun was already beginning to rise in the horizon. She burst into the door. Fumio was sitting on the couch with a sleeping Kimi in his arms. Of course, once she burst through the door so noisily, that sleeping Kimi was no longer sleeping.

"Emiko!" they both shouted, running up to her.

"God, where were you?" Fumio demanded.

"Sorry! I was with Jun-sensei."

"Jun . . . sensei?" Kimi asked, very confused.

"You graduated?" Fumio asked, smiling as he noticed the ninja headband that Emiko had tied around her thigh.

"Kind of, sort of," she replied, smiling back at him.

"What do you mean, kind of?" Kimi asked.

"Well, I didn't exactly graduate, per say, considering I still can't even create a stupid clone thingy but they gave me this test and I passed so I'm a tracker ninja now!" Emiko shouted, excitement clear in her tone.

"A tracker ninja?" Kimi and Fumio repeated, both confused.

"Yeah. There hasn't been one in thousands of years and they're very rare but Jun-sensei says they were very useful, back when they existed. Of course, they obviously exist now because I'm one of them. We were studying the little information written about tracker ninjas and we sort of lost track of time," she explained. "Hey, Nii-chan, did you . . .?"

Fumio shook his head but pointed to a lump in his pocket. He had the ring. Which gave Emiko an idea.

"Did you what?" Kimi asked.

"I wanted to show you something and I was wondering if he had showed it to you already," Emiko said, smiling at her.

Both Fumio and Kimi looked at Emiko, confusion clear on their faces.

"Here, I'll go get it!"

Emiko ran to her room and grabbed the jewelry catalog. She flipped through the pages until she found the one that had the ring Fumio had bought. She smiled at it and ran back out to them.

"Look, Kimi!" she said, showing her the picture.

"Oh my god . . . it's gorgeous!" Kimi shouted.

"Good!" Emiko exclaimed.

"Why is that good?" she asked, laughing.

Emiko smiled brightly and pointed behind Kimi. Kimi turned around and gasped. Fumio was kneeling on the ground, the ring in his hands.

"It's good because . . . because I bought it in the hopes that . . . that you'd keep it on you're finger for the rest of the life . . . as a symbol of our love. Kimi-chan, will you marry me?" Fumio asked.

Kimi had tears in her eyes and her mouth was slightly open in shock.

"I . . . God, yes!" she screamed, throwing her arms around him.

Emiko left them alone, considering they started making out and that wasn't exactly something Emiko was interested in seeing. Besides, even though she was happy for them, it got her a little depressed, too. For some reason, it made her think about Itachi. Think about how that could've been them one day . . . but it didn't seem possible now. It seemed like she'd never even get to be his friend again, let alone his girlfriend or fiance or wife. It just wasn't going to happen. One way or another, Emiko was going to have to learn to accept that.

"I love you, Fumio-kun," she heard Kimi say.

"I love you, too, Kimi-chan. So, so much."

Tears welled up in Emiko's eyes. She ran to her room, closing the door quietly. She leaned up against the door and slid down to the ground. She hugged her knees for comfort but it didn't help. She tried to be as quiet as possible as she cried, not wanting Fumio or Kimi to hear her.

"Why?" she whispered up to the sky that she could see through her window, "Why would he do this? Itachi-kun . . . what's wrong?"

She sat there, crying, for a long time. A few hours later, she heard a knock on the front door. She listened as someone opened it.

"Yes?" she heard Fumio asked.

"Is Emiko here?"

"Emiko!" Fumio shouted.

Emiko wiped her tears quickly, put on a fake smile, and ran out. She saw Jun in his ANBU uniform, just without the mask which she saw gripped in his hands.

"Jun-sensei," she said, smiling at him.

Her smiled faded as she saw the look on his face. It was a mix between sympathy and sadness.

"What's wrong?" Emiko asked.

"Dai told me you're very close with Uchiha Sasuke, am I right?" he said.

"Yeah . . . he's like my little brother. Why? Did something happen to him?"

Emiko was scared now.

"I guess you can say that. He's in the hospital but there's nothing physically wrong with him."

"Then . . . why is he there?"

"Maybe you should go talk to him. He'll probably be able to explain things better than I could."

Emiko looked up at Fumio.

"Come on, Ems. We'll take you," Kimi said.

Everyone had sympathy stuck on their faces. Fumio and Kimi didn't know what was going on anymore than Emiko did but just by the look on Jun's face, they felt the same sympathy towards her. Emiko was just purely terrified and very confused. If he wasn't really hurt, why was he in the hospital?

"We're looking for an Uchiha Sasuke," Kimi told the lady at the front desk once they got there.

"Oh, yes. You must be Emiko, right? My brother Dai told me you'd be coming to see him. He's in room three-oh-five."

"Thank you," Fumio told her.

Emiko ran the whole way to his room and burst through the door. Sasuke was sitting on the bed, staring out the window. He seemed okay, physically. He looked over at Emiko and she realized that emotionally, something was very, very wrong. Emiko walked over to him slowly. Tears started forming in his eyes and she could tell he was trying to hold them in.

"Sasuke . . .?" Emiko asked quietly.

"They're gone . . . all of them . . . dead," he said, a few tears falling down his face.

"Who? Who's dead?" Emiko asked frantically.

"My clan. He killed them. Emiko, he killed them," he told her, his voice filled not only with sadness but the same sympathy she saw in the other's faces.

"Who killed them? Sasuke-kun, tell me," she demanded, tears already forming in her eyes.

"Itachi."

Itachi? Did he just say Itachi? Itachi killed his own clan? No . . .

"No . . . there's no way. He coul-"

Emiko's eyes went blank as an old memory flashed into her mind. The dreams. She tried her hardest to remember every detail of the dreams.

 _There was blood every where. On the walls, on the ground, on the bodies that lay on the floor, but worst of all, on the man sitting in the corner. It was too dark. Emiko couldn't see who the man was. But she saw a little boy come running into the house she was in. She could see the tears in his eyes and his lips moving but couldn't hear anything. She couldn't even see him very well. Everything was a pale black except for the blood. The blood was a very bright red._

Only now did she realize that the little boy was Sasuke and that the house she saw was his. She also took notice of the bodies on the floor . . . Sasuke's parents. She tried to focus on the man in the corner. It was dark but she tried. She couldn't quiet make all of him out but she didn't need to. She saw those lifeless eyes. She'd know those eyes anywhere. She had seen them earlier today and they would forever be stuck in her mind. Itachi really did kill his own clan. Everyone but Sasuke. Emiko stumbled backwards until she hit the wall. Again, she slid down to the ground. Her eyes were wide and tears were flowing out.

"Itachi-kun . . . Why?" she screamed out, "Why would you do this? Why would you do this to me? Why would you do this to your very own little brother? I don't understand . . . Help me understand! Please . . . COME BACK! Itachi-kun . . . please . . . please. No . . . please . . ."

Emiko's world was falling apart and there was nothing she could do about it. Her best friend, the man she loved, betrayed her. Betrayed his own little brother. Betrayed his village. Betrayed everyone. Betrayed himself. It wasn't right. Something didn't fit . . . Emiko knew Itachi better than anyone. She knew he would never do this. But he had. So . . . there must've been a reason. The only question was, what was that reason? It didn't matter. He was gone. Emiko would never. Emiko would never be Emiko again. Emiko was gone. Emiko was dead. Itachi had killed her, too. There was no more Hama Emiko and there never would be again. Her life ended right then and there.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello!
> 
> Wow, okay, so this one was a lot longer than I intended it to be. Oh well! There was just so much that need to happen and I was too lazy to put it into more than one chapter. Haha. And sorry it took forever to get it out but I've been sick and busy and blah blah blah. So, yeah. Haha. Plus, I tend to procrastinate . . . a lot. Haha. But it's here now! So, I hope you enjoyed it. Ahh I'm going to miss Itachi! It'll probably be a few chapters before he gets back into the story! D: Just to clear up something, I didn't mean Emiko died at the end. Physically, she's fine, you know? But it's like the real Emiko doesn't exist anymore. So, yeah. Next chapter will be out soon, hopefully.
> 
> -Chelsea(:


	4. Who am I?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

>  **Chapter Song:** Gone – N'Sync (Okay, two things. Yes, I know that this song is from a guy's point of view. Just try and picture it from a girl's point of view or something. Because it's supposed to be from Emiko's point of view. Haha. And also, yes, I do like N'Sync. I like them better than the Backstreet Boys so laugh all you want. I don't care. Hahaha.)
> 
>  _I_   
> _'ve been sitting here  
>  Can't get you off my mind  
> I've tried my best to be a man and be strong  
> I drove myself insane  
> Wishing I could touch your face  
> But the truth remains  
> You're_
> 
>  _Gone  
>  You're  
> Gone  
> Baby you're  
> Gone  
> Girl you're  
> Gone  
> Baby girl you're  
> Gone  
> You're  
> Gone  
> You're_
> 
>  _Oh, what will I do  
>  If I can't be with you  
> Tell me where will I turn to  
> Baby who will I be  
> Now that we are apart  
> Am I still in your heart  
> Baby why don't you see  
> That I need you here with me  
> _

"I can't believe it . . . I'm getting _married_ today!"

Kimi was practically jumping out of her skin with excitement. Mai, a very nice lady who was doing her make-up frowned, again. Kimi kept moving and it was making her mess up. Emiko could tell she was very annoyed with Kimi, despite how nice she was trying to be.

"Kimi, you should sit still before Mai-san slaps you," Emiko said.

Kimi's eyes went wide as Emiko spoke. She looked up at Mai who nodded her head, a tight smile on her lips.

"Sorry," she said quietly.

Mai laughed and Emiko quickly forced herself to do the same but even she could tell it was fake. Mai and Kimi both looked at her quizzically. Emiko knew they wanted to ask her about the fake laugh . . . something she really rather not talk about. As Kimi opened her mouth, Emiko quickly thought up an excuse to leave and was saying it before Kimi could even make a sound.

"I'm gonna go see how Nii-chan is doing."

Emiko hopped off the counter she had been sitting on and quickly slipped out of the bridal room. As she walked through the church halls, she could feel a mental breakdown threatening to overcome her. She had to stop thinking of _him_ if she had any chance of stopping it.

"Easier said than done," she mumbled to herself, folding her arms.

She hadn't been able to stop thinking about him since he . . . left. Actually, even before then, he was in her every thought. She couldn't help but wonder if he thought of her, too. If he ever thought of her, past or present. Maybe he did in the past but Emiko doubted he ever thought of her now. When he betrayed everyone, he proved he didn't care about her and when he just up and left, he proved he never would. Out of nowhere, Emiko felt a drop of water hit her arm. She looked down, shocked.

 _Where could this have come from?_ she thought to herself.

It was only then that she realized the drop of water wasn't water at all. It was a tear. One lone tear that somehow was able to get away from all the others Emiko kept deep within herself. She can't let them escape. She has to stay strong for Fumio's, Kimi's, Sasuke's, and even her own sake.

Well, maybe not Kimi's . . . Emiko had a good feeling she already knew everything. Of course, everyone knew he hurt her that night . . . but it seems only Kimi understands how bad that hurt is. In fact, Emiko was positive she understood, considering the conversation Kimi and Fumio had that she happened to overhear. It had been over a year since Fumio proposed to Kimi, but at the time of the conversation it had only been five months. They had originally been planning on getting married only a few weeks after he proposed, considering they didn't want a big wedding. However, Kimi kept postponing it, over and over again. Finally Fumio decided to confront her about it.

"Why do you keep postponing this? Are you scared or something?" Fumio had shouted at Kimi.

Never before then had Emiko ever heard Fumio shout . . . at anyone, let alone Kimi herself.

"I'm not afraid," Kimi replied quietly.

"Then why, Kimi-chan?"

Kimi didn't say a word, instead just stared down at her feet. Fumio sighed, shaking his head slightly.

"I'm beginning to wonder if you're having second thoughts."

Kimi gasped and looked up at Fumio in shock. He looked completely devastated. He actually believed she didn't want to marry him.

"Fumio-kun, of course not! I love you . . . you _know_ that. There's no _doubt_ in my mind that I want to marry. I want nothing more than just that."

"If you want it so badly, why do you keep stopping it from happening?"

"Because . . . because Emiko isn't ready yet."

"Emiko? Kimi you know Emiko loves you. She already thinks of you as part of the family. What makes you think she isn't ready for it to be official?" Fumio asked, cupping her face with his hands.

"That wasn't what I meant. I know she wants us to get married . . . she always has. What I meant was I just think it's still too soon."

A look of confusion swept of Fumio's face. "Too soon?" he repeated, dumbfounded.

"Yeah. I mean, it's only been a little over five months since . . . since the incident with . . . with you-know-who," she replied, just above a whisper.

"That's what this is all about? The thing with Itachi? Kimi-chan, I was there in the hospital that day . . . I saw her cry, I heard her scream. I know that little bastard hurt her, but the thing is, friends come and go in this world. She was going to have to learn that one way or another."

"You're right. Friends do come and go, but Itachi wasn't just a friend, now was he?"

"What?"

"Don't tell me you don't know . . ."

"Know what?"

"Oh Fumio-kun . . . can't you see? Emiko loves Itachi . . . she always has and I think she always will."

"Loves him? She's twelve years old, for crying out loud!"

"Yes, she is. And she's known about her love for him since she was eight, though I'm sure she loved him the day she met him."

"The day she met him? She was six . . . There's no way she could've fallen in love with him back then. She was far too young to even know what love is. Even now, she's still too young."

"You're never too young for love, Fumio-kun. Didn't you find it odd? Emiko's friends, even though they never lasted long, usually invited her over to spend the night at least once and she always turned them down. She couldn't stand the idea of being away from you for more than a few minutes, let alone a whole night. Yet the very first day she met him, she was dying to stay with Itachi. There's no way he was just a friend to her."

Kimi, though Fumio still refused to believe it, was completely right. Emiko still wasn't ready . . . but she was going to do this for Fumio and for Kimi. She was just going to have to fake a smile and pretend like nothing is wrong.

As she reached the door to the groom's room which had a mirror on the outside, she paused, taking a minute to examine herself. She hadn't realized she looked so horrible. Her eyes were . . . empty. There was no other way to describe it. But it made sense. She _felt_ empty. She _was_ empty. There was nothing left inside her . . . there hadn't been for quite some time now. She had dark circles around her eyes, probably from the lack of sleep. She still dreamt of him. Sometimes they were nightmares she ran from, other times they were wonderful dreams she had to force herself out of. Either way, she lost sleep because of them.

Emiko soon realized she wasn't staring at a person . . . she was staring at an body that had once belonged to a person.

It was all too much. Tears started rolling down her cheeks and no matter what she told herself, they just kept coming as she stared into this mirror. She closed her eyes, trying to push out the tears, but when she opened them, they fell once again for she was no longer staring at herself . . . she was staring at him . . . she was staring at Itachi. She lifted her hand, and as though the Itachi in the mirror was truly her own reflection, his arm moved in sync with hers. They're hands connected as they laid flat, pressing against one anothers'. Both Emiko and Itachi stared at their hands for a minute before simultaneously looking up into each others' eyes.

Emiko noticed Itachi's eyes were back to normal . . . they held the same love and compassion they had when they were still friends. Suddenly, Itachi pulled his hand away and turned his back to Emiko. He looked back at her and she saw the cold, lifeless eyes she saw the day he left were back. Then he looked away and just began walking away from her, into the darkness. Emiko's tears were no longer simply falling . . . they were flowing from her eyes. Her lips trembled, her hands clenched into fists. _DON'T GO,_ she thought as she slammed her fast against the mirror.

As the mirror shattered, reality came flying back at her like a slap in the face. She fell to her knees, hugging her now bleeding hand close to her chest.

"Emiko?"

Emiko looked up and saw that Jun and Fumio had come out of the room and were now staring at her, slightly confused. They both glanced at the broken mirror and the shattered pieces on the floor before looking back at Emiko. Jun kneeled beside her, taking her bleeding hand into his.

"What happened, Ems?" Fumio asked as her watch Jun begin taking out small pieces that had gotten stuck in the wound.

"I . . . I tripped."

"Of course. You need to be more careful." Fumio said, laughing a little.

But Jun wasn't laughing. Not by a long shot. He kept glancing at her with worried eyes. He didn't believe her . . . he knew something was wrong. Emiko tried her best to fake a smile, hoping he'd accept it but, from what she could see, it didn't work. For next few hours, as everyone was getting ready for the wedding, Jun couldn't seem to concentrate on anything wedding-related. The worried look was stuck on his face as was a look of concentration that Emiko guessed was a result of him trying desperately to figure out what had happened and why it did.

Before they knew it, the time for the wedding to begin was upon them. Emiko watched as Kimi's father walked Kimi down the isle. Emiko's eyes went down to the bottom of the beautiful white dress Kimi was wearing. Her eyes traveled up, examining every detail of it. She let out a gasp as she reached Kimi's face . . . for it was no longer Kimi's face she saw. It was an older version of her own face.

As she watched herself walk down the isle, she couldn't help but notice that Fumio had taken the place of Kimi's father. This made sense . . . Emiko's parents were dead. If and when she got married, Fumio would be the one to walk her down the isle and hand her off to the groom. _Speaking of groom . . ._ Emiko thought to herself. She wanted to look at who the groom was but fear kept her eyes locked on the bride. Part of her didn't _want_ to know who the groom was. Fumio and the bride (whom she couldn't seem to call by her name) reached the alter and Emiko's eyes locked on the interaction between the hands.

Fumio had the bride's hand in his own, but not for long. He hesitated but put the bride's hand into the groom's and walked back to his spot. As she stared at the groom's and the bride's hands that were intertwined, she built up enough courage to slowly move her eyes up the groom's arm, and to his face. She knew instantly who it was. An older version of Itachi stood in a black tux, holding the bride's hand with a small smile on his face.

The man marrying them began speaking. Tears began to fill Emiko's eyes . . . both the real Emiko, and the bride Emiko were crying tears of joy.

"I do," the bride said quietly, when her time came.

The groom was next...Emiko couldn't wait to hear his voice.

"I do."

Itachi's deep voice rang in her ears and Emiko was overwhelmed with joy. After Itachi and the bride shared a short but passionate kiss, Itachi turned and stared at Emiko, smiling brightly.

"Come here, Emiko!" he shouted.

No. That wasn't right. That wasn't Itachi's voice!

"Emiko!"

It _had_ to be Itachi. But, no. The voice was wrong. The face was blurring. The tears in Emiko's eyes. That's what it is! They were gradually making Itachi's face disappear. She couldn't see through the tears. That's why his face is blurring.

"Ems!"

No, no, no! Itachi never called Emiko that. This is all wrong! Itachi was here. That's supposed to be him! He married. Married Emiko. She just witnessed it with her own eyes! The only one who ever called her that name was-

"Fumio-san is calling you, Emi."

Emiko looked towards the voice but her vision was still blurry. She blinked a few times, pushing the tears away. Before her she saw none other than Jun, a blank expression on his face. Slowly she turned to look at the bride and groom...Fumio and Kimi.

"It wasn't real . . ." Emiko said, her voice empty.

"Hn? What did you say?"

"Huh? Oh uh, it's nothing, Jun-sensei," Emiko replied, smiling up at him.

Jun let out a sigh but said nothing. He and Emiko walked over to Fumio and Kimi. Emiko didn't hesitate to fake a cheery smile and hug them both.

"You'll be good while I'm gone, right, Ems?" Fumio asked.

"Mm-hmm!" Emiko replied.

"That's my girl," he said, ruffling her hair.

After saying their goodbyes, Fumio and Kimi left for their honeymoon. Emiko walked home by herself. She was surprised to feel no tears, no pain. Shouldn't that day dream have pushed her to a mental break down? Whenever she had nice dreams about Itachi, that's always what happened. So, why not now?

"I feel no pain . . . I am . . . empty. I am . . . not me. So, who am I? Who have I become? Itachi-kun . . . I am with you. Emiko is with you, she always has been, and she always will be. When you are gone, so is she. So, if you're no longer here, who does that make me? Or am I simply a nobody? A soulless body bound to drag her feet across these lands for all of eternity? Who am I? Without you . . . I am nothing."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So much for the next chapter being out soon, huh? How long did it take? Like ten, elven months? Hahahah! I'm so sorry. There's no excuse for taking this long. XDD Anyway, poor, poor Emiko, huh? I'm so gosh darn evil to my characters. Muahahah. Well then. That's all for now. Oh wait! So, here's the summary of ages: In chapter one, Emiko is six, Itachi's six. Chapter two, she's seven, he's seven. Chapter three, she's twelve, he's thirteen. Chapter four, she's thirteen. Probably for the rest of the story, she'll be eighteen. Get it? Good! XD
> 
> -Chelsea(:


	5. The Difference

**Notes for the Chapter:**

>  **  
>  THIS CHAPTER WILL TAKE PLACE IN SASUKE'S POINT OF VIEW!   
> **
> 
> * * *
> 
> **Chapter Song:** Hell – Disturbed
> 
>  _All my emotion and all my integrity  
>  All that you've taken from me_
> 
>  _Now I can stay behind  
>  Save me, from wreaking my vengeance  
> Upon you, to killing more than I can tell  
> Burning now I bring you Hell!_

Sasuke dragged his feet through the streets of Konoha, hands in pockets. He shot a glare in the direction of every single person on the streets. All of them looked so happy. Bright, smiling faces and cheerful voices, with a few jolly laughs thrown in. Why was he the only one to be cursed to forever be without that? Well, almost the only one. He knew Emiko would forever be without it as well. But . . . there was a difference between him and Emiko . . . a _big_ difference.

When he finally reached the Hama's home, Sasuke didn't even bother knocking. He simply walked in, headed straight for Emiko's room, and giving a little "hn" in reply to Fumio and Kimi's "hello." He did, however, knock at Emiko's door though there was no response. Knowing she was asleep, he let himself in. When he saw Emiko, he almost laughed. Almost. She a curled up under her covers, her arms tightly wrapped around a stuffed bunny. She was eighteen years old and she still slept with a stuffed animal? Yeah. That definitely was worth an _almost_ laugh.

"Nee-san, get up," Sasuke said, pulling her pillow out from under her hand and hitting her with it.

One of Emiko's eyes popped open and looked up at Sasuke. It glared at him. Well, sort of. Most people looking at it, would've seen a glare. Sasuke knew better than that. To glare, you need emotion, something Emiko now completely lacked.

"Ever heard of the saying, 'Let sleeping dogs lie,' Sasuke-kun?" she spat out.

"Yes, but apparently you're not a dog, you're a bunny," Sasuke replied, pointing at Emiko's stuffed bunny.

Not only was she sleeping with it still, but it even matched her. Well, almost. It was a purple and orange bunny. The shades were only slightly different from Emiko's hair and clothes. From what he could see, the bunny was pretty old and was probably abused. It was very worn out and there were even a few places that had torn and been sewn up again. Emiko's eyes became locked on the bunny as she sat up, still holding it in her arms.

"I can't believe you still sleep with a stuffed animal, let alone a piece of shit like that. How old is that thing, anyway?"

"It's not a piece of shit!" Emiko yelled suddenly.

Sasuke couldn't help but widen his eyes in surprise. Not only was that the first time he had seen any emotion in Emiko's eyes, or heard any emotion in her voice, since Itachi had left, but it was just such a sudden outburst of so much rage. The emotion quickly disappeared, and Emiko's eyes widened slightly as well.

"Sorry," she said quietly. "He's ten years old. Ita . . . Itachi gave him to me for my eighth birthday."

Oh. Well, that explains the outburst when he called it a "piece of shit." Emiko got up, grabbed something off her dresser, then sat back down. In her hands she was holding a small piece of paper, which she was now staring at. She then held it up to Sasuke. He took it from her hands and looked at it. It was a picture . . . a picture of Emiko sitting on the ground, hugging the bunny, looking as if she was going to cry because she was so happy.

"He said it reminded him of me," she continued, "Not just because of the colors . . . but because bunnies were soft, and cute, and kind . . ."

"But, why?" Sasuke asked suddenly.

"Why did it remind him of me?" Emiko questioned, seeming confused.

"No. Why do you still love him? Why do you still care about him?"

Sasuke didn't have to explain it any further . . . he saw the instant understanding in Emiko's eyes.

"I don't love him, Sasuke-kun, nor do I care about him," she replied.

"That's a damn lie," Sasuke accused.

"No, it's not. Emiko loved Itachi. Emiko cared for Itachi. Tell me . . . can you look me straight in the eye and honestly say that I am still Emiko?"

"I can't look you straight in the eye and honestly say that you are anyone. You've completely lost all traces of a person," he replied.

"Exactly. So, no, I do not love Itachi and I do not care about him," Emiko said.

"That's good . . . because I don't want to hurt you, Nee-san, but I will get my revenge. I will make Itachi pay for what he did. I'm going to make him suffer like he's made us suffer. I'll take him to the deepest pits of hell, and stay there myself if I have to."

"I know."

There was a moment of silence before Sasuke spoke again.

"And that is-" Sasuke started to say.

"The difference between Hama Emiko and Uchiha Sasuke," Emiko finished.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So, this chapter is sort of just like a filler but I think it's kind of an important filler. We all know the series does a wonderful job of stating how much Sasuke hates Itachi, but I felt the need to compare his feelings and Emiko's feelings in my fan fiction. And, I must say, I actually really like this chapter. Plus, I do love the chapter song. Disturbed is a pretty good band. Hahahha. I'm sorry this chapter is really short. The next one should be longer. And guess what! Either in the next chapter, or the one after it, Itachi will be making his first appearance since chapter two! Well, chapter three, anyway. He had a small part in that. XD Well, that's all.
> 
> -Chelsea(:


	6. Psyched Out

**Notes for the Chapter:**

>  **Chapter Song:** _None_

"Nee-san, this is my team. Guys, this is Emiko," Sasuke said, lazily gesturing towards his team then back at Emiko, looking quite bored.

"I didn't know you had a sister, Sasuke-kun," a little pink-haired girl replied, smiling brightly at Emiko.

Emiko managed to return a smile, though nobody seemed to notice how weak and fake it truly was. Of course, Emiko knew that Sasuke could tell. He noticed this about her years ago, kind of like Kimi had. Unlike Kimi, however, Sasuke didn't care too much. He missed Emiko, yes. Even she could see that. However, she knew that, in a sense, he was glad that Emiko was no longer really Emiko.

"We're not actually related, but I do look at Sasuke-kun as if he really was my little brother," Emiko explained.

"Hi! I'm Uzumaki Naruto!"

Emiko watched as the blonde boy - who had shouted his introduction with such enthusiasm it had made her jump - tried to walk over to her and shake her hand, only to fall flat on his face.

"Dobe," Sasuke mumbled under his breath.

"Shut up, teme!" Naruto shouted back, glaring at Sasuke as he recovered himself.

The little pink-haired girl then proceeded to smack Naruto on the head, causing him to hunch over in pain rubbing his head. Emiko watched, almost amused by the teenage drama happening in front of her.

"Don't call my Sasuke-kun teme!" she screamed at Naruto.

"Ahh, Sakura-chan . . . he called me dobe first," Naruto whined, looking slightly depressed by Sakura's infatuation with Sasuke.

"Baka!" Sakura shouted, smacking him again. "Don't try to blame this all on Sasuke-kun! Why don't you try being _mature_ for once and take responsibility!"

"B-but . . . but . . ."

Naruto, who seemed to have run out of words, gave a up with a sigh, still rubbing his head. Emiko then took notice of the man leaning against a tree, reading one of the novels in the _Icha Icha_ series. He had white hair that was messily tossed to one side, his forehead protector covered his left eye, and he wore a mask. Considering the Jounin vest he was wearing, Emiko was pretty sure he was Sasuke's sensei, Hatake Kakashi. As if knowing she was looking at him, Kakashi looked up and smiled through his mask.

"Emiko," he said, giving her a slight nod of the head.

"Kakashi senpai," Emiko replied, giving the same slight nod.

"Senpai? I hardly think that's necessary. Senpai is used for someone who is above you but still in the same general class. You're pretty much a class of you're own, Emiko."

"Thank you. Just Kakashi, then," Emiko said quietly, with a small smile on her lips.

She was almost embarrassed by Kakashi's remark about her being her own class. It was true, in a sense, though. Tracker ninjas aren't really considered to be the same class as ninjas are. Two separate things.

"What do you mean by that, Kakashi-sensei?" Sakura asked, seeming confused.

"Emiko's no ordinary ninja, she's a tracker a ninja," he replied.

"But I thought all ninjas were tracker ninjas . . ." Naruto stated, dumbfounded.

"All ninjas are taught basic tracking techniques, yes, but we are not _tracker ninjas_ ," Kakashi explained.

"I don't get it . . ."

"Gosh, you're so stupid, Naruto. Haven't you heard the legends of the tracker ninjas? They were supposed to be some of the most powerful, most useful ninjas ever. We, as just normal ninjas, are taught to use sight, smell, and just general intelligence to try and track someone, but tracker ninjas are much different. If someone is close enough and they're searching for them specifically, a tracker ninja doesn't need to do anything; there's just a force guiding them to that person, so to speak. But not only that . . . tracker ninjas can also learn the five extremely advanced tracking jutsus that no other ninja could ever do, though no one really knows what these techniques are, since there hasn't been a tracker ninja in thousands of years and the records of them are very vague."

"Well, you can't say that anymore, can you? There's a tracker ninja now, and rumor has it, you've learn four out of five of the techniques, Emiko," Kakashi said, sounding like he was simply making an observation.

"Yeah, I have. I haven't figured out how the fifth one works, yet."

"Still, that's amazing! And to have to learn it all on your own . . ." Naruto said quietly, his eyes slightly wide.

"Well, it wasn't completely on my own. I mean, yeah, I had to do it all myself, but I had a sensei guiding me along the way. It's no different than what Kakashi does for you guys. He doesn't _tell_ you the answers, he simply gives you the information you need and lets you figure it out by yourself. That's what Jun-sensei did, and still does, for me. The only difference is that even if Jun-sensei wanted to tell me the answers, he couldn't," Emiko explained.

It was true. Jun couldn't give her the answer, he could only show her the information and let her figure it out herself but that's what _all_ senseis are supposed to do. If you give your student all the answers, they'll never really learn anything.

"But, still, it couldn't have been _that_ easy," Sakura said.

"S'pose not," Emiko replied, shrugging her shoulders.

"Nee-san, can we go now?" Sasuke asked, his eyes bored, yet somehow still angry, as if he was glaring at the world.

"I thought I at least hammered a few manners into you," Emiko said teasingly.

"Sorry to disappoint you, but no," Sasuke replied. His voice was still cold and monotone but Emiko knew he was teasing her just like she had teased him.

"Well, I can't do everything, I guess."

"Sorry, Sasuke, but you're not going anywhere. Hokage-sama wishes to speak with us," Kakashi declared, smirking in amusement. Sasuke just glared at him.

"Perfect," a voice interjected. Emiko smiled at her sensei, greeting him with a nod. "Hokage-sama wishes to speak with us as well, Emiko. We can all make our way there together."

Jun just kept on walking, not even waiting for a reply from the others. Emiko, who had long since grown use to Jun's agile and independent decisions, immediately followed after him, without even having to think about it. It took the others, however, a few moments before they followed after Emiko.

"Hey, so, Emiko-sensei, what's it like being the only one of your kind?" Naruto asked as he ran to catch up with Emiko.

Emiko shrugged. "It has it's pros and cons, I guess, like most things in life do, but, honestly, I hardly even notice, hardly even think about it. I'm just serving my village. That's what every ninja does."

"But you do it in a way that no one else does!" he exclaimed.

"No two ninjas are alike, Naruto-kun. They all have different techniques, styles, and ways of doing things. Instead of focusing on one piece, try looking at the whole picture. I'm really just like every other ninja," Emiko said, smiling at him.

"What a humble young lady!" a voice shouted. Everyone turned to see the voice's origin. An old woman dressing in very colorful, mismatched clothes and excessive amounts of make-up and jewelry was smiling brightly at Emiko. "Come, child," she said. "You have such an odd, amazing, compassionate, and . . . sad aura around you. Allow me a look into your heart ad soul."

"Uh . . ." Emiko struggled for words, feeling awkward. Why her? She was walking with five other people and the street they were in was very crowded. Why did this woman have to choose her? "No thanks," she choked out.

"I'm not asking for money, just for you to allow me a look into your past and future . . . please," the woman begged.

"Look, I don't really believe in that stuff. Thank you for the offer, though," Emiko said as she turned and began walking away, the others following closely behind.

"Why haven't you gone after him?"

Emiko stopped dead in her tracks, causing Naruto to run into her. Slowly, she turned to the woman, her eyes wide. She felt shocked, scared, and unbelievably vulnerable. This woman couldn't really be talking about Itachi, could she? The others looked confused as the woman stared at Emiko, her smile gone and her face serious.

"You love him so, so much. You love him more than anything. His absence is what is causing your sadness . . . no, your pain? No, no. It's what caused your death. Yes, I see it now. You are no longer you. You are nothing more than a hollow shell. You seem fairly sure that he is . . . innocent? No, he is guilty, that much is clear. So, what is this goodness you are sure of? If not innocence, then perhaps reasoning? Yes! Reasoning. You're sure that he is good and that there was a good reason for all he did. But you're afraid. Afraid of the 'what if's. What if he really isn't good? What if there was no good reason? Well, there's only one way to find out.

"Go after him, my child! You can't let a love like that go! Wait. You . . . you have everything you need to find him? Yes, you do! All the skills that are needed . . . you possess them. So, what's stopping you? Why do you just walk around pretending everything is okay when you could be _making_ it okay?"

Tears were streaming down Emiko's face. She didn't care that Kakashi, Naruto, and Sakura were all confused and shocked or that Sasuke and Jun were both furious, for very different reasons. How could this strange woman she had never met before get every detail dead on like that? And why? Why did she have to bring up such painful memories? Why did she have to do it in front of Sasuke? More than that, why did she have to make such a valid point?

Emiko was a _tracker ninja._ So, why hadn't she gone after him yet?

The woman opened her mouth to speak again but was interrupted before she could even make a sound. "Enough, woman!" Jun roared in pure rage. "I think you've done more than enough damage."

No. She had done no damage, none at all. She had helped.

"Come on, Emiko," Jun said, placing his hands on Emiko's shoulders, trying to guide her away.

"No. She . . . she's right."

Jun's expression became confused but the rage still had not dissipated completely.

"What?"

"I have . . . I have to go after him, sensei."

At these words, Jun's face immediately softened. "Emiko-" he began to protest but was quickly cut off.

"Jun-sensei, I have to. I have to do this. I can't keep faking smiles and laughs. I can't keep pretending like this isn't effecting me. I can't be an empty shell anymore. If I find him, I have a chance of getting myself back, of being happy. Yes, it's true that he may not be the same guy and that I won't find myself or happiness, but at least there's a change. If I just continue on as I am now, there's no chance. None at all."

Jun stared at Emiko for a long time, completely silent, before he finally let out a sigh. "Promise me you'll be careful, Emiko."

"I will."

"Now get out of here before I change my mind," he replied, smiling lightly. Emiko squeezed his hand before walking over to Sasuke.

"I'm sorry, Sasuke," she said.

Sasuke looked her in the eye. His eyes held so much anger, but Emiko could see the sadness hidden within them. "So am I," he agreed, looking off to the side.

Emiko kissed Sasuke on the forehead before leaping onto the roof of one of the small shops. She let one last tear fall down her cheeks as she looked upon Sasuke and Jun once more before she made her way to the village gates.

"You guys go on ahead to Hokage-sama's office. I'll meet you there," Jun said.

Sasuke began walking immediately, and, though still confused, the others followed behind without asking questions.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry I didn't have a chapter song for this chapter. Perhaps next chapter. I'm moderately happy with how this chapter came out. Hahha. Oh, and, sorry, this took longer than I thought it would. Anyway, until we meet again in chapter seven! XD
> 
> With love,  
> -Chelsea(:


	7. Arguments And A Secret Smile

**Notes for the Chapter:**

>  **Chapter Song:** _None_

_(The following will take place in Sarutobi Hiruzen's point of view. Also known as the Third Hokage)_

Sakura continuously drummed her fingers on the edge of Sarutobi's desk, Naruto had fallen asleep in his chair, Sasuke was staring out the window, and Kakashi, of course, was reading one of his novels. Somehow, none of these actions surprised Sarutobi. He knew their personalities too well for surprise.

When they first entered, after Sarutobi had told them he'd explain why he wanted to speak to them only after everyone had arrived, Naruto had been yelling, demanding to know right away. This wasn't surprising, either. Then, Kakashi hit him on the head, telling him to be quiet. Nor was this. What was surprising, however, was the fact that Jun and Emiko had not yet arrived. Both Jun and Emiko were famous for being right on time, if not a little early.

Finally, about half an hour later, Sarutobi heard footsteps . . . three pairs of footsteps. It should only be two; Jun's and Emiko's. The door opened and in walked Hama Kimi, followed by Hama Fumio, and finally Jun. Sarutobi raised an eyebrow at him.

"I want to talk to you three about something. It can wait, though. What did you want to see me about?"

"Wake up, baka!" Sakura shouted, whacking Naruto on the head.

"Ow! What? Are you finally going to tell us why we're here?" he asked Sarutobi as he rubbed his head.

"Yes. I have a mission for Team Seven. A mission in which I want Jun and Emiko to join you in. Speaking of which, where exactly _is_ Emiko?" Sarutobi asked, raising and eyebrow at Jun again.

Jun sighed. "That's what I wanted to talk to you about."

"What happened?" Fumio demanded, his eyes wide.

"Is she okay?" Kimi asked worriedly.

"She's . . . moderately safe. Emiko left the village to find Itachi."

"What!" Fumio roared. "And you just let her go?"

"That's exactly what I did. She begged me to do so. Surely you are not blind to how his absence has been effecting her. She's not even Emiko anymore."

"So, that makes it okay to let her go get herself killed? Does she even know how to defend herself?"

"She knows how to run and she may be able to block a few simple attacks."

"And what good is that?"

"It's not like she has someone after her, Fumio. If that was the case, I never would have let her go. But it's not. Emiko is very good at avoiding conflict. I highly doubt she'll run into any trouble. She just wants to find Itachi and find out what really happened."

"I want a team to be sent after her! To protect her, at the very least," Fumio said, this time speaking to Sarutobi.

"No," Jun answered before Sarutobi could even open his mouth.

"Just because you don't care doesn't mean the rest of us don't!"

This clearly effected Jun. He stood up straight and walked away from the wall he had been leaning against, getting right up in Fumio's face, his expression completely serious. "Do not, for one second, make the mistake of thinking that I care any less about Emiko than you do. She's my little girl, too. But the leaf shinobi have better things to be doing than chasing after someone they'd never find."

"I know there aren't any other tracker ninjas out there, but there are ninja who are good at tracking. They'd find her."

"No, they wouldn't. Tracker ninjas just know how to find people, they know how to stop people from finding them. Emiko wouldn't allow someone to find her; not until she finds what she's looking for."

"Fumio," Sarutobi finally chimed in. "I know you're upset, but I think it's best for _everyone_ if we let Emiko go after Itachi."

Sarutobi could see that the smile on his lips and the emphasis on "everyone" let the whole room dumbstruck. Of course, he already knew it would. In time, it should all be explained, though.

"You're dismissed."

"What? No mission?" Naruto shouted.

"Not anymore, Naruto. Perhaps another time."

"Man, this sucks! Got my hopes up for nothing, hold man," he grumbled.

"Shut up, dobe," Sasuke said as he walked out the door.

Sarutobi could hear Team Seven's arguing even after they had left his office, and it only made his smile bigger.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi guys!
> 
> No chapter song for this one. Sorry! We're getting closer to seeing Itachi again, though! Yay! Hahhaha. Oh, and, sorry about the length of this chapter. It's like super, super short. Well, I'll be seeing you guys in chapter eight. Bye!
> 
> With love,  
> -Chelsea(:


	8. 365

**Notes for the Chapter:**

>  **Chapter Song:** One Small Year – Shawn Colvin
> 
>  _One small year  
>  It's been an eternity  
> It's taken all of me to get here  
> Through this one small year_

_(The following takes place in Kimi's point of view.)_

Kimi let out a deep, tired breath. She was finally done. Boy, did she hate housework! Though, she did have to admit, the house did look much better. She just wished hadn't had to get down on her hands and knees, scrubbing it down with a bucket of water and a rag for it to be better. As she lazily plopped herself down next to her husband on the bed, she noticed he was looking particularly down. Kimi's expression softened as she snuggled into his side, wrapping one around him while using the other to intertwine their fingers, and resting her head on his shoulder.

"How long has she been gone?" Kimi asked quietly.

His reply was even quieter. "Exactly one year. I haven't seen my little girl, heard anything about or from her in three-hundred and sixty-five days." His voice went even quieter. "I just wish they would have kept an eye on her so I could at least know she's safe . . . or even alive," he said.

One lone tear escaped from his left eye, trailing down his cheek. Kimi knew there were many more just like it that Fumio was trying to stop. She hated seeing him in such pain, but, in all honestly, she had completely agreed with Jun . . . Emiko needed to do this and nobody should be sent after her.

"I'm sure she's fine, Fumio-kun. Emi knows how to take care of herself."

* * *

 _(The following takes place in Jun's point of view.)_

Jun rubbed the black fibers of the torn fabric between his fingers, then brushed the back of his fingers against the cool metal attached to the fabric with Konoha's symbol engraved into it. He traced the engraving with middle finger, smiling lightly. He would never forget the day he gave this to Emiko, or the day it tore.

Six years ago . . . that's when she first received it. Deep inside the forest, Jun had handed her this ninja headband. He was amazed with her . . . she found all of them with no trouble; no trouble at all. Even as time went on, she never ceased to amaze him, every mission they got, and every day they were still in Konoha. She did everything to the fullest. Whether it be out on a mission, training, studying, or caring for Sasuke.

This very headband had been tired around her thigh until three and a half years ago, whilst out on a mission. As they were running through a forest outside of Konoha, the headband got caught on a try branch. Emiko, who normally pay attentions to even the smallest details, oddly enough faild to notice it was caught. So, she ran, causing it to rip completely off. As soon as we returned, we got her a knew one.

"You know, Jun-sensei, I'm actually glad it ripped," Emiko had said as she tied the one around her thigh, in the same spot the old one had been.

"And why is that?" Jun asked, chuckling lightly.

"Because, I think I much prefer this purple fabric over the black. It seems to even out the outfit more."

Even out the outfit. That's what she had said. Though, Jun had to admit, she was right. Purple beanie with a black rim, purple shirt, black shorts, and black shoes. With the black fabric, it went purple, black, purple, black, black, black. With the new one, it kept to the purple, black pattern. Jun laughed quietly. Emiko had rubbed off on him.

"Three-hundred, sixty-five days," he said, putting a little X in the corner of today's date on the calender. "Still not home. Though, I wonder . . . have you found him, yet, Emiko?"

* * *

 _(The following takes place in Sasuke's point of view.)_

Sasuke walked to the edge of the cliff and sat down, allowing one leg to dangle off the edge while using the other to rest his arm upon. His eyes moved from the ocean below to the sky above. The sun was shinning brightly – too brightly for his taste – and there were only two clouds in the sky. One looked as if it was only inches away from the sun while the other was much, much farther away.

"Three-hundred, sixty-five days," Sasuke said quietly.

Emiko definitely was closer to Itachi than he was, if she hadn't found him already. She had had a head start. Even a year later, Sasuke still had mixed emotions about this situation. He loved Emiko, and didn't want to hurt her. However, his hatred for Itachi was stronger than his love for Emiko. He knew he was going to kill Itachi and he knew it was going to hurt Emiko, but he had to do it. Just as she had to try and find Itachi. Which, Sasuke had a feeling, she hadn't quite accomplished, yet. He wasn't sure why he felt that way . . . Perhaps it was just the simple fact that he _hoped_ she hadn't found him, yet.

"I wonder . . . if she's doing any better? Or will she only be happy again when she finds him?" he asked himself.

"What are you talking about?" a voice called from behind, interrupting his thoughts.

Sasuke didn't even have to glance back. He knew that voice . . . it was Orochimaru. Sasuke ignored his question.

"Are you ready to get back to training?" Orochimaru asked as he chuckled lightly, realizing he wasn't getting an answer to the first question.

Sasuke, again, didn't answer with words. He simply stood up and turned to follow Orochimaru. He took one last glance back at the sky. The one cloud had finally caught up to the sun, blocking some of it's light. In the past year, Sasuke hasn't once seen a cloud pass over the sun, something that was quite unusual, especially during the winter months. Today was the day Emiko would find Itachi.

"And she doesn't even know I left . . ."

* * *

 _(The following takes place in Emiko's point of view.)_

Emiko leaned against the tree she was on, breathing heavily as she stared at the ground far below. She had to keep going. She couldn't just give up now. Though, she knew she was exhausted. Using the Level Four Tracking Jutsu non-stop for a year? Within a couple days, it uses more chakra than normal ninjas use within a couple years. She was amazing she had lasted this long. She wasn't even sure how she was still alive, let along still running around using the jutsu. All she knew is that she can't give up . . . not yet – not before she finds Itachi.

Emiko closed her eyes and tried to keep from falling or passing out, her breathing sstill jagged and heavy. Through her noisy breathing, Emiko could hear two pairs of feet walking casually below. They passed under her and continued on. Then one stopped. The other seemed to walk ahead a little more before stopping. Guess it took them a second to realize the other had stopped.

Emiko forced her eyes open, squinting from the sun, which had been covered by a cloud, but still made everything so bright. Not too far from the tree she was standing on, she saw two people. Just like she had heard, one was a little farther ahead of the other. Both were dressed in black cloaks with red clouds on them. Emiko looked at the one farther ahead.

He was carrying a big sword and he . . . well, he looked like a shark. There was no other way to describe it. He had blue skin, gills on his cheeks, and blue hair that was only a shade darker than his skin. He was looking at his friend with a smile on his face, yet his expression questioning. Then Emiko turned her gaze to the one closest to her . . . and gasped.

Itachi. The other man was Itachi. No doubt about it. He didn't look much different, just older, obviously. His eyes were just as lifeless as they were the last time she had seen him. There was just one problem . . . Emiko couldn't tell if he was real or not. Hell, she didn't even know if his partner was real. Her vision was blurry, she hadn't slept in god knows how long, and she was completely and utterly exhausted. _Itachi_ , she tried to call out, but she found she had no voice left.

Suddenly, her body caved in to the exhaustion and collapsed. The last thing she saw was Itachi's lifeless eyes, the last thing she felt was a gust of wind as she fell from the tree, and the last thing she thought was, _"He wasn't real."_


	9. Truth

**Notes for the Chapter:**

>  **Chapter Song:** Tears and Rain – James Blunt
> 
>  _How I wish I could walk through the doors of my mind;  
>  Hold memory close at hand,  
> Help me understand the years.  
> How I wish I could choose between Heaven and Hell.  
> How I wish I would save my soul.  
> I'm so cold from fear._

Emiko inhaled the smell of the pillow deeply, smiling at the familiarity of the scent. She turned her head, so her face was smothered in the pillow, and continued to breath in the sweet smell she had missed so much. She would never have enough of this scent. She squeezed the pillow up, trying to push her face further into it.

. . . Wait . . .

Pillow? Emiko's eyes shot open. It was pitch black, due to the fact that her face was still in the pillow, the pillow that shouldn't even be there. The last thing she remembered was . . . a tree. She fell from a tree. So, why was there a pillow?

Emiko lifted her head. It was just a plain white pillow. She then glanced to the side, seeing she was in a bed with white sheets and a dark blue blanket. She just barely caught a glimpse of the walls as she tried to lift her head a little more, only to have it fall right back down. The walls looked like rocks . . . like she was in a cave or something. As Emiko tried to flip over onto her back, she realized exactly why her head had fallen back down . . . she hardly had any strength. It took everything she had just to flip, and she ended up gasping in pain and exhaustion.

"You really shouldn't be moving. You don't have the strength for even that yet."

Emiko looked towards the foot of the bed to find a pair of cold, lifeless eyes staring at her. Emiko's eyes went wide. She sat up and forced her body to crawl towards the owner of said eyes, who was sitting on the edge of the bed, ignoring the screaming of her body, the protesting against every little move she made. She somehow even found the strength to raise her arm, resting her hand on his cheek.

"You're real . . ." she said quietly. "What did you get me for my eighth birthday?"

"Go back to sleep," he order, his tone just as lifeless as his eyes.

"What did you get me for my eighth birthday?" she repeated, refusing to do as he said.

"A stuffed bunny you called Itati because it was the way Sasuke used to say my name," Itachi replied, glaring slightly.

"It's really you . . ." Emiko breathed out.

Tears began falling from her eyes as she flung her arms around him. They fell even more when Itachi stood up, forcing her to let go and nearly fall.

"No, it's not," he said.

Emiko's brows furrowed. "What?" she asked, confused by his statement.

"I'm not the Itachi you knew."

Emiko let out a strained laugh. "Don't be silly . . . of course you're the same Itachi," she replied, trying to keep her voice light, not wanting to show him all the emotions that had suddenly overcome her.

"No, I'm not. Do I look like the same Itachi, Emiko? I've changed. You were never the brightest, but I though even you could've figured that out already," he replied, this time a little life in his voice . . . but not the kind of life she was hoping for. Angry, almost evil life came through in his tone.

"You called me Emiko . . ." she said, tears welling up once again. "The only time it was just Emiko is when you were referring to me . . . you never called me that, Itachi-kun. It was either Emi or Emiko-chan . . . never just Emiko."

Emiko head fell as she cried, not being able to hold it back. When Itachi called her Emi or Emiko-chan . . . it symbolized his love for her; even if his love for her was only friendship, it killed her to see him pretend it was gone. He's just pretending . . .

"That was a long time ago. I told, I'm not the same Itachi."

Emiko shook her head.

"No, that's a lie."

"No, it's not."

"Yes, it is."

"No, it's not, Emiko."

"Yes . . . Itachi-kun . . . that's not true."

"You sound so sure," he spat.

"I am," Emiko replied, looking up at him. Itachi looked angry now and his voice confirmed the anger. His tone was hard, rough, bitter . . .

"And what exactly is it that makes you so sure?"

Emiko wasn't sure how, but, one way or another, she found enough to strength to sit up, her legs hanging off the edge of the, and tilt her head back to look up, deep into Itachi's eyes.

"Because . . . when you . . . _left_ . . . you took me with you, Itachi-kun. Everything I am, it was all gone. I was just this empty shell walking around, doing as I was told, no feelings, no thoughts, no nothing left. I was gone." Emiko forced herself to stand up, taking the two steps to fill in the space between her and Itachi. She almost fell, but was able to grab on to him, and she noticed he instinctively held onto her to keep her up. "But now, I'm back. All this emotion is flowing within me . . . I'm having trouble containing it all. I can feel again . . . breathe again. Only the Itachi I knew could bring me back like this." Tears now fell as she thought about what was coming out of her mouth next. "I don't know if this Itachi you've showed me is just a cover up, or if you truly believe it's what you become, but I do know that's it's not real. The Itachi I knew is here, standing with me, holding me up, protecting me . . . like he always did."

As Emiko wiped away her tears, she could see Itachi's face clearly, and saw that his eyes were closed and his expression was strained, maybe even a little confused.

"Why are you fighting so hard for this?"

His voice came out barely any more than a whisper. Emiko pulled herself closer, resting her head right up against where his stomach ended and his chest began. He was still so much taller than her . . . even after all these years, she couldn't catch up. She hugged him as tight as she could, still afraid he might just disappear and she'd awake from this dream, just as empty and alone as she's been for years.

"Because . . . I love you."

"How can you say that . . . How can you love me after all I've done . . .?"

He was crying. She could hear it in his voice. She could hear the pain, the confusion . . . the fear. She tried to pull him tighter. Surely this was a dream.

"Itachi-kun . . . I will love you after every mistake you make, every lie you tell, everything you do. I will love you after the rain falls down, the sun goes out, after the world is no more. I will love you after it all . . . after anything and everything. Nothing could ever take away my love for you."

"Emi . . ." he said quietly. "I . . . I didn't want to do it . . . I didn't want to kill them."

Emiko's head shot up in surprise, looking at him with wide eyes. She had been right. He was crying. Tears were running down his cheeks, though his eyes remained closed.

"What?"

"I didn't want to . . . I didn't have a choice. My own clan, my own family . . . I didn't want to kill them."

Emiko opened her mouth to say something, but Itachi's eyes opened and looked down at her, taking her breath away. The eyes were the same . . . the same as that day Sasuke and her were walking to school. There was so much pain in them, she couldn't even begin to explain how much.

"You should lay back down, Emi," he said, pick Emiko up bridal style, then laying her back on the bed. "You hardly have any strength left . . . Why is it, exactly?"

"I'd been searching for you for a long time," Emiko replied quietly.

"How long?" Itachi asked, sitting next to Emiko.

"It doesn't matter. I'm fine, Itachi-kun. You, on the other hand . . . Itachi-kun, tell me, please. What happened?"

Itachi stared into her eyes for what seemed like an eternity before replying. "Later, Emi. For now, you need to rest."

"No. Tell me," Emiko demanding, refusing to give in on this one.

"Rest, Emi."

"How can I rest? How do you expect me to 'rest' when you won't tell me what happened? I can see so much pain in your eyes, Itachi-kun . . . please . . . tell me."

Again, Itachi just stared into her eyes. He tried so hard to hide it, but Emiko could still see all the pain hidden deep in his onyx eyes. As he blinked, Emiko caught a glimpse of another tear, though Itachi quickly turned his head away from her.

"You already know I was made an ANBU captain . . . my 'mission' was just to keep an eye on the village, make sure nothing was going on that shouldn't be. I knew there was something wrong in my clan, though, so I spied on them instead. I became a sort of double agent, so to speak." He paused. "Do you remember the history of Konoha? The story about Uchiha Madara and Senju Hashirama?"

"Vaguely . . . When they decided to create Konoha, Madara and Senju-sama fought over who should be the Hokage, right? The Uchihas stood against Madara, though. Taking Senju-sama's side, right? And Senju-sama won."

Itachi looked back over at her and smiled a little. "See? You did pick up a few things at the academy." Itachi quickly turned away and continued. "Well, I guess the Uchihas changed their mind. They were . . . they were planning to over-through Konoha. They believed it rightfully belong to them."

Emiko could already see where this was going. With just that, she could pretty much figure out the rest of the story, but she needed to hear it from Itachi himself.

"When I relayed this information to the Third Hokage, the Konoha Council, along with Danzo, the leader of Root, the Third, of course, wanting to find a way to do this without violence. Danzo and the council, however, were convinced such a thing did not exist. So, I was given the orders to kill my clan."

He was shaking. Never in her life would she have been able to even _imagine_ Itachi in this much pain. She already knew he had been traumatized, having spent the first four years of his life in war, but all that did was turn him into a pacifist. This . . . this obviously had a much worse effect. Emiko forced herself up again and wrapped her arms around his neck from behind, laying her head against his back.

"Why didn't you tell me? Back then, I mean. I couldn't have stopped it, of course. But, I could've at least been there for you, Itachi-kun."

Itachi shook his head. "No, you couldn't have, Emi . . ."

"Why not?" she asked, feeling a little hurt, but not letting it get to her until he explained.

"Because I didn't kill everyone I was ordered to . . ." he said quietly.

"I know . . . you were ordered to kill the whole Uchiha clan, but you couldn't bring yourself to kill Sasuke. I figured that part out already."

"No, Emi. Well, I mean, yes. That's true. I couldn't bring myself to kill Sasuke . . . but there was one other person I was ordered to kill that I just couldn't."

Emiko was confused. No other Uchihas were left . . . was he supposed to kill himself, too? No, that didn't make sense. Even if Konoha hated Uchihas, Itachi was on their side, they knew that.

"Who?" she asked.

Itachi's voice came out so quiet, she wasn't even sure if she had heard him correctly . . . "You."


	10. Requited

**Notes for the Chapter:**

>  **  
>  A MESSAGE TO MY READERS –   
> **
> 
> Hello beloved readers! (:
> 
> Before I move on to the chapter song and stuff, I just have one thing to talk to you about. As you may, or may not, have noticed, _I Will Love You After_ is nearing the end of this particular conflict. What you didn't know is, yes, I was planning on only having this one conflict in the story, and having the story end with a new conflict arising, meaning that there will be a sequel. _I Will Love You After_ , in my original plans, was only going to have ten chapters. However, as you'll see when you finish reading this chapter, that is not the case anymore. It will have one, maybe two more chapters. Then, the story will be over. Don't worry, though. Like I said, I will be writing a sequel, just not right away. I will let you all know when it's up!
> 
> With love,  
> -Chelsea(:
> 
> * * *
> 
>  **Chapter Song:** I Don't Wanna Miss a Thing – Aerosmith
> 
> I could stay awake, just to hear you breathing
> 
> …
> 
> I could spend my life in this sweet surrender  
> I could stay lost in this moment forever  
> Well, every moment spent with you  
> Is a moment I treasure
> 
> ...
> 
> Lying close to you  
> Feeling your heart beating
> 
> ...
> 
> And I just wanna stay with you  
> In this moment forever, forever and ever
> 
> I don't wanna close my eyes  
> I don't wanna fall asleep  
> 'Cause I'd miss you, baby  
> And I don't wanna miss a thing  
> 'Cause even when I dream of you  
> The sweetest dream would never do  
> I'd still miss you, baby  
> And I don't wanna miss a thing
> 
> Well, I just wanna be with you  
> Right here with you, just like this  
> I just wanna hold you close  
> Feel your heart so close to mine  
> And just stay here in this moment  
> For all the rest of time

Emiko sat up straight, but didn't removed her arms from around Itachi. Her eyes were wide and her head confused. Why would they order Itachi to kill her?

"Me?"

"Yes, Emi, you," he said quietly.

"But . . . why?" she asked.

"Because, they saw it." He let out a small, humorless laugh. "I don't know how, but they did."

Itachi's "explanation" was only confusing Emiko more.

"Saw what?"

"They knew what it could possibly mean one day," Itachi continued, seeming to not have even heard Emiko's question. He was, as far as Emiko could tell, lost in his own world . . . probably reliving every moment of his story. "The Third Hokage still wanted to find another way to do things, even with you, but the others were convinced there was no choice." Emiko wanted to asks questions, but she decided to wait until he had finished his story. "So, they gave me the orders to kill you as well. Like I said, I couldn't bring myself to do it. I spent a long time trying to figure out a way around it. I already figured out Sasuke's . . . I'd just do it before he got back from the training he always did after school. You, on the other hand, you would always come straight home from school, which didn't leave me enough time.

"When the day of the mission arrived, I still hadn't thought of a way. I knew I had to do something to keep you away, but there just was nothing. Or, at least, I didn't think there was. Then, you looked at me that morning and gave me just what I needed. So, I went to the Third and told him about your abilities as a tracker. He knew I was purposely trying to keep you busy for the day, but he was kind-hearted enough not to say anything to the council or Danzo."

"Wait, wait, wait. When I was talking to Sasuke that morning, he told me you suspected me of being a tracker ninja, but had no way of knowing for sure. How did you know I'd pass Hokage-sama's test?" Emiko asked, not being able to hold her tongue with this question.

"Emi, you looked right at me," Itachi said, smiling lightly.

"So? I mean, you were sitting right there, Itachi-kun."

Itachi chuckled lightly. "No, I wasn't, Emi."

"You . . . weren't?"

"No. I was sitting over two and a half kilometers away from you. I was sitting behind on of the houses on a small hill . . . you saw me through a window, Emi. If you didn't have a tracking ability like you do, you wouldn't have even noticed I was there. That's how I knew you would pass the Third's test, providing me with more than enough time to . . ."

It seemed Itachi couldn't quite finish that last sentence. Emiko couldn't blame him . . . killing his own clan? She couldn't even imagine how traumatizing that must have been. She still had no idea _why_ they told him to kill her as well, though. Since it seemed Itachi had finished, she figured it was okay to ask.

"Itachi-kun . . .?"

"Yes?"

"Why . . . why exactly did they tell you to kill me, though? You said they saw it, but what did they see?"

Itachi smiled at her. "You haven't figured it out?" Emiko shook her head. "They saw my love for you."

Emiko's eyes went wide. He meant friendship, right? Surely he meant only the love of a friend . . .

"Love?" Emiko breathed out.

"Yes, Emi . . . love. Emiko-chan, I love you. I always have. They saw that and feared it might one day lead to us having children together. They didn't want to allow even more Uchihas to enter this world . . . that would've defeated the purpose of me doing what I did."

"You . . . love me?"

Emiko couldn't believe it. She had dreamed of Itachi loving her, but she had always thought it would be nothing more than just that, a dream. Yet, here he was, talking about loving her and even mentioning _children._ Children . . . with her. _Shock_ didn't even begin to cover it. It didn't help when Itachi leaned in, giving her a soft, gentle kiss on her lips. She only became more shocked, more frozen.

"Yes, I do. I have for a long time now. I've loved you since the day we met, though at that time I was much too young to realize it was love," he said, still smiling lightly at her.

"When . . . when did you realize?" Emiko asked, not being able to resist such a question.

"The day I graduated. That day, you were so upset. I remember you sitting down by a tree and crying. You said you were happy for me, but you didn't want me to leave. I was so mad at myself at first . . . because as I saw you crying, of course, I was upset to see you in pain, but there was this part of me that felt so happy and I hated myself for feeling that way. How could I be happy to see you cry? Then, as I thought about it, I realized I wasn't happy because you were crying, I was happy because you were crying over me. I was happy because that meant you cared about me in a way no one had before. Even my own little brother didn't seem to be able to love me quite like you did. It was like a glimmer of hope in the distance . . . maybe, just maybe, you love me as more than a friend, even if you didn't know it. The fact that I felt like that could only mean that I loved you," he explained.

"So that was it, huh? I always wondered about that," Emiko said to herself, voicing her thoughts.

"Wondered about what?" Itachi asked, his expression a little confused.

"Oh. Well, that day, I could see it in your eyes, see that you had realized something about yourself, but I could never figure out what."

After that, it got quiet. The silence lasted for what seemed like an eternity. Emiko opened her mouth a few times, but couldn't bring herself to break the silence. She was relieved when Itachi broke it instead.

"Can I ask you something?" he said.

"Of course," Emiko replied.

"You said you loved me . . . but, when did you . . ."

Emiko could tell Itachi was having trouble figuring out exactly how to word the question, but she understood what he wanted to know.

"I think I've loved you from day one, Itachi-kun. Like you, though, I was much too young to realize it at the time," she explained.

"So, when did you realize it?" he asked.

Emiko smiled lightly. "My eighth birthday, right after you gave me Itati."

Itachi laughed quietly. "You were crying that day as well. When I gave you Itati, you stared at the ground for a while. When you looked up, I could tell you were near tears . . . for a second, I was afraid you didn't like him. You just barely held yourself together so Fumio could get the picture . . . then you burst out crying. You were crying because you loved me?"

"Yeah, I guess I was. Strange, huh? I'm not even sure why something like that would make me cry, but it did. Now that I think about it, I cry a lot, don't I?" Emiko said, laughing.

"That's one of the things I love about you."

"You love that I cry?" Emiko asked, raising an eyebrow at him.

"I love that you're not afraid to cry, not necessarily that you do cry," he replied, laughing at her. "You never answered my question, you know."

"What question?"

"How long were you searching for me?" he asked.

"Oh. Well, when I was in that tree, if I remember correctly, that was exactly one year after I left the village to find you."

"And you were using your tracking abilities the whole time?" he asked, his eyes wide.

"Yeah," Emiko said, shrugging. Now that it was over, it didn't seem like a big deal to her.

"No wonder you're exhausted . . ." he said, shaking his head. "Well, I've explained everything to you, so go back to bed."

Emiko didn't argue with him this time . . . she couldn't. She could no longer ignore the screams her tired body was making and she agreed to lay back down on the bed. Before she went out again, though, she just had to make sure . . .

"You'll stay, right?" she asked.

Itachi stared into Emiko's eyes and silence filled the room once again. After a few moments, Itachi leaned in again and placed another soft, gentle kiss on her lips.

"Emi, I promise, I'll never leave you again," he said quietly, laying down next to her.

Emiko smiled, curling into his side, sighing as he wrapped his arms around her. She was almost afraid to go to sleep. She didn't want to leave him, even if she was only going into her dreams.

"You'll come home with me, right?"

"I told you, I'll never leave you again. Wherever you wish to go, I'll follow. We can leave when you wake up, if you like," he said.

"I'd like that," she replied, smiling.

The silence that fell upon them didn't last long.

"Itachi-kun?"

Itachi sighed. "Are you ever going to go back to sleep?"

"Just one more thing."

"Okay, one more. What is it?"

Emiko lifted her head a little to look in his eyes. "I love you," she said.

Itachi, though she could tell was upset she was refusing to rest, couldn't help but smile at that one.

"I love you, too, Emi," he replied, kissing her softly. "Now, sleep. You need your rest."

Emiko smiled, resting her head on his chest and letting her exhaustion win the fight against consciousness.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Just in case you didn't know, two and a half kilometers is just a little over one and a half miles.


	11. The Bittersweet End

**Notes for the Chapter:**

>  **  
>  MESSAGE TO MY READERS:   
> **
> 
> Wow, guys! Can you believe it? We're finally here...the last chapter of _I Will Love You After_! I can't tell you how excited I am, yet sad! In all my years of writing (about seven years), I have _never_ fully completed a story. Yet, here we are, the final chapter! It'll be the first story I've ever finished! But, I have to admit, I'm really going to miss writing it, and I'm really gonna miss you guys! I started this story all the back in March of 2009. The first chapter was published here on on March 15. It's been over a year! I've grown so attached to this story, and very, very attached to Emiko and Itachi, both as a couple, and as individuals. But, this isn't goodbye! I _will_ be writing a sequel, I'm just not entirely sure when. As soon as the sequels out, I'll be sure to let you know! Since this is the final chapter, it'll be pretty long. Just like how sometimes a tv show that is usually only half an hour, will be an hour long for the season finale. Wow, I almost feel like crying right now! Hahhaha. I hope you guys enjoy the last chapter! I'm really gonna miss you all and I hope to see all of you again in the sequel!
> 
> With lots and lots and lots of love,  
> -Chelsea(:
> 
> * * *
> 
>  **Chapter Song:** Lost – KAT-TUN
> 
> If we look up at this beautiful sky  
> Maybe we can be innocent again  
> It's never too late to make a change
> 
> You're almost worn out, aren't you?  
> Don't cry now  
> The sun's going down again  
> Being lost

"Are you ready to go?" Itachi asked, smiling lightly at Emiko.

Emiko _tried_ to sit up, only to fall back down with a sigh. She didn't quite have her energy back yet. She wasn't terribly surprised . . . I mean, after a year of tracking, what else could be expected?

"I think that's a no," Itachi said, his face a bit concerned.

"Don't look at me like that, I'm fine. I'm just exhausted."

"It _is_ possible to die of exhaustion, you know," he replied, rolling his eyes.

"I'm _fine_ , Itachi-kun," Emiko said, rolling her eyes as well.

Itachi sighed and rejoined Emiko on the bed.

"Since it seems we're not leaving for a while longer . . . tell me, how do you like being a tracker ninja?" he asked.

Emiko smiled lightly. "I couldn't imagine doing anything else . . . It's almost like it's a part of me," she said quietly.

"Explain to me about the tracker ninjas, I never really understood much about them."

"You? Not understand something? I didn't think it was possible," Emiko said, smiling.

Itachi chuckled, shaking his head. "I'm not a tracker ninja. It's impossible for anyone to understand anything about them unless they truly are a tracker ninja."

"Well, the way you spot a tracker ninja, is by what's called 'The Guide.' Every tracker ninja has The Guide within them. The Guide is just . . . it's like the natural tracking ability within us. Because of The Guide, I could find anyone who was in our village with ease, even if I've never met them. Konoha is my home, and therefore, it is directly connected to me. That's why The Guide works within the village walls. Outside the village, I can no longer use The Guide."

"What exactly does The Guide do, though?"

"It's just sort of like a rope that pulls tracker ninjas toward who they're looking for. I always had The Guide, and you were the first to notice it. I really didn't notice it at all until the day they tested me. Then, as I'm sure you've already heard, there are five tracking jutsus we can learn as well, each one more difficult than the previous," she explained.

"And have you learned them?"

Emiko sighed. "Four. I've learned the first four, but I haven't been able to figure out the fifth one yet. I think I understand it, like what it does and how it works, but I must be getting _something_ wrong."

"I'm sure you'll figure it out . . . don't be so upset over it."

"I'm not upset, just frustrated. It's the most powerful tracking jutsu of all! It can find _anyone, anywhere_. It's full-proof, really, but I can't do it."

"Like I said, you'll figure it out," he said, kissing her forehead.

* * *

It was just like when they were kids. Walking home together, holding hands. The only differences were that home, this time, was much further away, they were older than they were the last time they did this, and, as you could probably tell just by looking at them, their holding of hands meant something different this time, something much deeper than it did when they were kids. Still, Emiko couldn't believe how . . . _normal_ it felt; like he hadn't even left in the first place. Right now, the only thing that was reminding her that he had left, was the words that kept repeating in her head, the words she heard Itachi exchange with his partner Kisame before they left that creepy, underground "home" of his.

" _So, you're going back to Konoha, huh?"_

" _Yes, I am. I made a promise."_

" _You and your promises. You never break them, do you?"_

" _I try not to . . . but there were two I broke."_

Emiko knew what he was talking about. The first being his promise to Sasuke . . . his promise to never hurt him, in any way. The second, she knew was made to her on the day he graduated. Itachi had promised he would never let anything keep them apart. Unfortunately, he hadn't counted on being told to kill her.

" _Kisame-san, since I left Konoha, you're the closest thing I've had to a friend, even if I haven't been much of a friend in return, and I know this isn't fair to ask of you, but will yo-"_

" _Hey, you've been as good as a friend as you could manage. I knew you were in pain, but that orange-haired girl seems to be able to dull that pain immensely, if not take it completely away. So, don't worry, Itachi senpai. I'll cover for you as long as I can."_

" _Thank you, Kisame-san."_

That was it. The three things that were said to remind her. The first being about the promises, the second being Itachi's pain, which even Kisame noticed, and the third being the fact that Itachi needed to be covered for. All three could only mean that Itachi had left, and things had happened that Emiko hadn't known about. Emiko knew Itachi was apart of an organization known as Akatsuki, as was Kisame. However, she knew this not because Itachi had told her, but because Emiko had heard about Akatsuki from the Third Hokage and had heard about their uniforms, the black cloaks with red clouds. She had never asked Itachi about being apart of Akatsuki, though . . . she just didn't feel like asking more questions right now.

If Emiko was being honest with herself, there was one other thing that she couldn't get out of her head that showed her Itachi had left and things had changed. She kept trying to shove it out of her head because every time she saw it in her mind, it gave her a weird feeling in her stomach that she had never felt before. Before they left, Itachi had changed into less suspicious looking clothes. He had threw off his cloak, and changed his shirt. Now, Emiko had seen Itachi shirtless before, but for one, they were much younger than, and two, Itachi didn't have such a toned body. His muscles were lean, but very, very defined. His abs, his chest, his arms, hell, even his back had defined muscles. She was very grateful Itachi hadn't noticed how she was looking at him at that time, or, that if he did noticed, he pretended not to. She was embarrassed enough as was. Even now, as she thought back to that moment, she felt incredibly embarrassed.

"What're you thinking about?"

Itachi's voice pulled Emiko away from her thoughts. She could feel her cheeks warm up as she thought of the true answer to his question. Despite how embarrassed she was, she couldn't help but tell him the truth . . . after all, she had never been able to lie to him.

"How you've changed," she said, staring down at the ground.

"Wasn't it you who said I hadn't changed one bit?" he asked, laughing.

"Well, yeah, but I said that before . . ."

Emiko looked up at Itachi, biting her lip. She couldn't lie to Itachi, it was like it was impossible, but . . . she just couldn't say it. He stared back at her a minute, an eyebrow raised, then he smirked.

"Before you saw me without a shirt?"

Emiko quickly snapped her head away from him, not wanting him to see her face, which was probably fifty different shades of red by now. That's something that had changed . . . they had grown older and had developed hormones that they hadn't had back when they were friends. Of course, it's only natural to grow hormones, everyone does. It's just weird not having realized said hormones were even there until she found him again. He just laughed.

"Would you prefer if I dropped the subject?" Emiko nodded, still refusing to look at him. Again, he just laughed. "As you wish."

* * *

Emiko and Itachi had been walking in silence for a while now. Emiko had a funny feeling that something was wrong, and the close she came to Konoha, the more the feeling grew. She wasn't sure why she had this feeling, wasn't sure if anything was wrong, let alone what it was . . .

"Itachi-kun . . .?" she said, looking at the ground as she stopped walking.

"What is it, Emi?" he asked, turning to face her.

"I . . . I feel like something's wrong."

"Like what?"

"I really don't know," she replied, finally looking up at him. The worry and concern was clear in his eyes. "Something just feels wrong."

"We should keep going, Emi. The only way to find out if something actually is wrong is to get to Konoha and see for ourselves," Itachi said, brushing the back of his hand against her face.

"Yeah, I guess you're right . . ."

And with that, they were off once again.

* * *

Ah, the gates of Konohagakure! They didn't look much different, but, although she couldn't quite place her finger on it, Emiko felt like there was something off about them. Everything had an aura about it that just seemed . . . off, wrong. The guards gave Emiko and Itachi a weird look as they walked through the gates, but they said nothing. Emiko knew they said nothing because of her. She hated to admit it . . . but because of her tracking abilities, she had become extremely well-known and over-trusted in Konoha. People knew who she was and knew not to question her. Quite frankly, she hated it.

"It feels like it's been forever . . ."

Emiko knew he was talking to himself, but she could still hear the quiet, pain-filled words that came from Itachi's lips. Emiko smiled brightly . . . The Guide just found someone. Emiko stopped in her tracks, Itachi stopping just a few steps ahead of her. Emiko turned to face the alley way and waited for him to turn around and see her. He paid the man at the stand, and shoved the book he had bought into his back pocket. As he turned, he immediately stopped, staring wide-eyed at Emiko.

". . .Emiko?" he breathed out quietly.

Emiko's smile grew and she ran to him, throwing her arms around him.

"I've missed you, Jun-sensei!" she shouted, laughing.

Jun quickly returned the hug, pulling Emiko tight against him. Emiko felt a drop hit her neck and knew it was a tear. Jun was crying . . . it made her want to cry, too.

"You're finally home." Emiko could hear the smile in his voice. "I've missed you, Emiko," he said quietly. Jun pulled back, holding Emiko at arms length. He was smiling and Emiko noticed there were no tears in his eyes. She wasn't surprised, though . . . she was amazed he had even let one tear fall. Jun glanced over at Itachi. "Itachi-san," he said, nodding.

"Jun senpai," Itachi replied, nodding back.

Jun opened his mouth to say something, but paused. His eyebrows pulled together in thought and then he closed his mouth, seeming to have changed his mind. Emiko raised an eyebrow in curiosity, but said nothing.

"Come. I'll take you to Fumio," he said, smiling again.

Emiko turned back to Itachi, taking his hand, and then followed Jun. He led them to the outside of a small apartment. Emiko knew it belonged to Fumio and Kimi, even though she had only seen it a couple time. Fumio had bought moved in to it only days before Emiko had left, not wanting to leave her to live by herself before she was eighteen. Emiko stepped up to the door and knocked. Moments later, the door swung open.

Emiko wanted to cry again . . . Kimi hadn't changed one bit. Well, except the fact that she had a sponge in her hand and sweat on her brow. Kimi was notorious for hating housework, thus she was never found in such a state.

Kimi stared at Emiko for a minute, before smiling lightly and giving her a hug. "I'm glad you made it home safe, Emi," Kimi said. She pulled away from the hug, and looked over at Itachi. She smiled again and walked over to him. "I'm glad you made it home safe, too," she said.

Itachi looked . . . shocked, and a bit confused. Emiko wasn't. She had already figured out had everyone would react to Itachi. Kimi, having been someone who knows all too well how much it hurts to be away from the one you love, would accept Itachi as long as Emiko still loved him. Jun felt basically the same . . . as long as Emiko wanted him and trusted him, then he would, too, but he, for the moment, was more just tolerant of Itachi than actually accepting of him. Over time, Itachi would prove himself and Jun would then accept him. As for Fumio . . . well, Emiko knew full well it wouldn't go so good . . . and that's putting it lightly.

Kimi laughed, also noticing Itachi's shock and confusion. "I understand what it's like to be without the one you love, more so than I like, and I would never wish that upon someone else. As long as Emiko loves you, trusts you, believes in you, and wants you around, then I will welcome you with open arms. Jun, I can see, feels _almost_ the same way. He won't welcome you, per say . . . not until you've proven yourself, but, until then, he will . . . _tolerate_ you for Emiko's sake. Fumio, however, I must warn, will not be so forgiving. He's the only one who never wanted Emiko to leave to find you in the first place. Well, no one exactly wanted her to go, but we understood why and were not about to do anything to stop her. Fumio couldn't understand. All he saw was his baby girl going after someone who had hurt her. He sees things no differently, even now. It _will_ take much time for you to earn his trust, but it will happen over time. So, just, be patient with him. That goes for both of you," she explained, glancing at Emiko at the end.

Emiko already knew this and she had a feeling Itachi did, too. However, Itachi figured it was going to be like that with everyone, not just Fumio. Kimi led all three of them inside and in to the "living room" area of the apartment, where Fumio was sitting on the couch. His head was down, but as he heard the approaching foot steps, he slowly looked up. As soon as he caught Emiko's eyes, he jumped off the couch, his eyes wide. He took one cautious step forward, as if he was afraid she wasn't real, and tear rolled down his cheek. He took another step, then another, and then he just ran at her, pulling her as close as physically possible. Emiko wrapped her arms around her big brother, this time, not being able to stop a few tears that soaked into his shirt. It felt like forever that they stayed like this, unmoving.

"Don't ever do that to me again," Fumio whispered. Emiko could hear the pain, fear, and anger he had probably been holding in all this time, in the tone of his voice.

"I love you, Nii-san."

"I love you, too, Ems."

Suddenly, Fumio pulled away. As Emiko looked up, she noticed his eyes were wide once again. She guessed he was looking at Itachi. Suddenly, those wide eyes narrowed into a glare. Yeah, he was definitely looking at Itachi.

"What the hell is that bastard doing here? You're not welcome in my home," he spat.

"Nii-san, don't," Emiko said, more tears falling down her face.

"Itachi, don't take another step," Kimi said firmly. Emiko guessed he had actually started to walk out of the house, but she couldn't see. She was staring at Fumio's enraged expression. "Fumio-kun, this is my house to and Itachi _is_ welcomed here. I will not budge on this."

"Kimi, don't. Don't do that. He _hurt_ her. He's a murderer and he hurt my baby girl! I will not forgive him! He isn't trustworthy!" Fumio shouted.

"Then Emiko isn't trustworthy either," Kimi replied calmly.

"What?" Fumio said, his rage toning down a bit to make room for the confusion.

"Emiko trusts Itachi. If you don't trust Itachi, then you don't trust Emiko. You should _trust_ that Emiko would not forgive Itachi and trust him with everything she is unless he was truly trustworthy. You taught Emiko good judgment. Trust her to use it."

"I can't trust her when it comes to Itachi. 'Love is blind,' remember? I know she loves him. As much as I hate to admit it, it's true. But because of her love, she cannot make clear judgments about him!"

"Then obviously I am not trustworthy either," Kimi said, still so calm.

Again, Fumio became confused. "Why do you keep telling me things like that?"

"I am simply rewording what you are saying. You say 'love is blind' and people in love cannot make clear judgments about the one they love. I have done terrible things in my past, you _know_ that Fumio. However, you chose to forgive me. Yet, you say it is wrong for Emiko to forgive Itachi of his mistakes. So, then, it must be wrong for you to have forgiven me and that you are simply so 'blinded' by your love for me that you cannot see I am untrustworthy."

"That's not the same!"

"Yes it is, Fumio!" Kimi had finally yelled. She was getting a bit frustrated. Emiko hated seeing them fight, especially since they were fighting because of her. "Look, I know it won't be easy, but you have to give him a chance. I know he hurt Emiko, but I also know Emiko would not be standing before you right now with him by her side unless he was truly trustworthy. Maybe, if you ask nicely, Itachi will even explain to you exactly what happened that night. I have a feeling there's an explanation for it and it would be a good place for the two of you to start building a relationship with each other. Please, for Emiko and for me, just _try_."

"Fine then. Explain to me, boy, exactly why you decided to go murder everyone and hurt my baby girl and Sasuke," Fumio said rudely, still glaring at Itachi.

"I-" Itachi had tried to respond, but . . .

"Itachi, do not answer that," Kimi interjected. "Fumio, please, I know it's not easy, but you're going to have to put a little effort into this. It can't all be on Itachi."

Fumio and Kimi locked eyes for a long time. Finally, Fumio sighed, sitting back down on the couch. Emiko, who, even now, was still in tears, didn't move. She could only watch as Itachi sat down on his knees on the floor a little ways in front of the couch, while Kimi sat next to him, and Jun sat next to Fumio.

"Would you explain what happened that night . . . _please_ ," Fumio said, obviously having a hard time with the final word.

Itachi went on to explain everything; the history of the Uchihas, his ANBU mission, the plot to overthrow Konoha, and finally, the orders to kill the Uchiha clan. He, of course, left out the fact that he was told to kill Emiko as well, which Emiko figured was for the better. Fumio didn't need to know about that, no one did. However, apparently, he didn't need to explain it . . .

"You were ordered to kill Emiko as well, weren't you?" Jun asked.

Kimi and Fumio both looked at Itachi, shocked, waiting for an answer.

"Yes, I was."

"How did you know?" Kimi asked.

"It was just a guess . . . the day Emiko was given her tracker ninja test was also the day that Itachi carried out the mission, and, in fact, it was Itachi himself who had told The Third about her abilities."

"But . . . why would they want you to kill her?" Fumio asked, looking back at Itachi.

Itachi sighed. "They could see clearly that I loved her and, though I didn't believe it at the time, they said she loved me, too. Danzo was actually the one who brought it up, saying things like the fact that we loved each other means that we could one day end up having children together and he claimed that more Uchihas would just defeat the purpose of what they were doing in the first place. The Third hated this idea of killing the Uchihas, let alone a little girl who had done wrong. The council took Danzo's side, of course. The four of them fought about it for a long time, but, in the end, The Third had no choice but to comply. Jun was right . . . You see, there was no way I could kill Emiko, just like I couldn't kill Sasuke, I already knew that. I didn't have to worry about Sasuke, though. He always went to the woods to train after school. However, Emiko usually came straight home and I wouldn't have enough time to . . ." Itachi sighed again, not being able to complete the sentence.

"The day I was supposed to . . . carry out the mission had arrived, and I still hadn't figured anything out. I was going crazy, trying to figure out what to do. That morning, though, when Emiko came to get Sasuke, so they could walk to school together, she finally proved her tracking abilities to me. I went straight to The Third and told him about the strong possibility of her being a tracker ninja. I knew, if she passed their test, as I was sure she would, that they would begin training her immediately, and I would have plenty of time. The Third knew full well that I was trying to keep her away long enough, but he said nothing to Danzo or the council, and helped me save both Emiko and Sasuke."

After all that, it was quiet for a long time. All eyes were on Fumio, waiting to hear what he had to say. Each moment that passed by, Emiko's fear of Fumio never accepting Itachi grew, until . . .

"I see . . . Look, I'm glad to hear that, but don't think that this just makes everything okay. You still haven't earned my trust back, but, Kimi was right, this was a good place to start," Fumio said, finally looking back up at Itachi. Itachi just nodded, seeming to have expected that response all along.

"I hate to break up such a happy moment," Jun said, "but, I feel you guys need to know some things . . . a lot has changed since you left, Emiko."

Jun was the first one to look at Emiko for a while. She quickly wiped her tears, hoping they would stay where they belonged from now on, and sat down next to Itachi. She took his hand and held it in her lap, for which Itachi received a glare from Fumio. Jun, however, couldn't seem to care less about what was going on, whether it be their intertwined hands or Emiko's tear-stained face; he was focused on what he wanted to say.

"The Third is dead."

Emiko's eyes went wide. The Third Hokage? Dead? How? Why? When? It can't be true . . .

"What happened?" Itachi asked.

"It's a long story . . . and it has a lot to do with the other thing I wanted to tell you. It's about-"

 _Knock, knock, knock._ Everyone seemed to freeze for a moment. _Knock, knock._

"I'll get it," Kimi said, getting up to answer the door.

Emiko's eyes were fixed on the door Kimi had exited the room from, waiting for her to return. She did, of course . . . and Kakashi, Naruto, and Sakura were right behind her. Sakura's eyes went wide when she saw Emiko.

"Emiko-sensei! You're home! That . . . that means you can help find him!"

"Sakura! That's no way to greet Emiko after she's been gone so long," Kakashi said, sounding like a father scolding his child.

"But she can find him! She's a tracker ninja!"

Naruto's face lit up at the word "tracker," seeming to have just now got what Sakura was saying.

"Sakura, you're right! Emiko, you can find him!"

Emiko had now grown even more confused than she already was. "Find who?" she asked.

"Sasuke!" Naruto and Sakura both shouted.

"What?" Itachi asked.

"What are you guys talking about?" Emiko added.

"Naruto, Sakura, please. They don't know yet. I was just about to explain things. Take a seat, please, and allow me to continue. I can explain it better than the two of you," Jun said.

Naruto and Sakura had a hard time, it seemed, but they sat down and stayed quiet. Emiko and Itachi turned back to Jun.

"What happened to Sasuke?" Itachi asked.

"Like I said, I was just about to explain. Sasuke left the village. During the chunin exams, Orochimaru appeared and attacked the village. He also left a curse mark on Sasuke. Orochimaru is the reason The Third is dead. The Third sacrificed himself, trying to take Orochimaru along with him. He didn't completely succeed, but he greatly weakened Orochimaru. However, Sasuke still left with him."

"Orochimaru? But why would Sasuke go with him?" Emiko asked.

Jun opened his mouth to respond, but Itachi beat him to it. "To get more power . . . so he can kill me."

"Wait, you? You're the bastard that killed Sasuke's family? Why the hell is he here?" Naruto shouted as both he and Sakura stood up, glaring at Itachi.

This time, it was Emiko who was mad. She was tired of everyone reacting this way to Itachi. None of them knew him like she did, and none of them even bothered to ask what happened. Emiko stood up and got right in Naruto and Sakura's face.

"Sit down, both of you! Neither of you have any idea what went on!" Emiko shouted at them. Sakura sat down, but Naruto didn't. He wasn't about to give up . . . he was too headstrong for that.

"I know that he _killed_ the Uchiha clan! I know that he's the reason Sasuke left! I know that he's the reason Sasuke has suffered so much! What else is there to know?"

"You don't even know _who_ he is! His name is Uchiha Itachi and he happens to be Sasuke's older brother."

"You're his brother? That just makes it worse!" Naruto shouted, glaring at Itachi again.

Emiko continued, pretending not to have heard him. "Nor do you know how much he has suffered, or why he _had_ to kill his clan, or the fact that he didn't want to, or the fact that he had to lie to Sasuke in order to protect him! You know none of that yet you stand here yelling at him and accusing him of things! I won't stand for this anymore . . . Look at him, Naruto! Does he look happy about what's going on? Does he look like he doesn't care? No! Next time, before you start pointing fingers, take the time to figure out the _whole_ story!"

"Emiko is right, Naruto. You can't just go around yelling at people like that. Judging by the fact that Fumio is allowing Itachi to sit in his home after the way he hurt Emiko, there is more to this than what we can see. If all there was to the story is what you have heard, do you really think Fumio would allow him here?" Kakashi asked.

"I . . . I guess not," Naruto replied, sighing in defeat.

Finally, he sat back down in his spot, and Emiko did so as well, he head down. She hated yelling at people. She always feels guilty after snapping at people like that. Suddenly, Emiko had an idea.

"Naruto . . .?" she called quietly.

"Yeah?"

"Knowing you, you went after Sasuke, didn't you?" she asked.

"Yeah, I did," he replied. "We actually had a fight by . . . uh, those statues of those two guys, whatever that place is called."

"Valley of the End," Itachi said quietly.

"Yeah, that . . ."

"How long ago was this fight?"

"I don't know . . . probably four or five months."

"Emiko, what are you thinking?" Jun asked.

"I'm thinking . . . I'm thinking I might be able to use Level Four to find him," Emiko said.

"Four or five months, he said. Isn't that too long, though?"

Emiko stood up, heading towards the door. "Probably . . . but it's worth a try."

"Wait, what's 'Level Four?'" Sakura asked.

"The five tracking jutsus tracker ninjas can learn . . . They don't have special names for them like other jutsus; it's simply just Level One, Level Two, Level Three, Level Four, and Level Five."

"How does Level Four work?" Kakashi asked.

"Well, basically, all it does is, if there is a large amount of someone's chakra lying around, like there would be after a fight, it will use that chakra almost like a dog would use someone's scent to find them. It's not the most reliable, though. Chakra fades over time, and once he's on the move, it fades even quicker. The chances this will work after any longer than a month are very slim," she explained.

"Well, if it won't work, can't you just use Level One, Level Two, or Level Three instead?"

"No, they won't work in these types of situations. You see, Level One requires two things in order to work; one, you have to know the person and their chakra very well, and two, they have to be near by. All Level One does is allow you to basically sift through the near-by chakras until you find the one you're looking for. Although I do know Sasuke's chakra very well, it would never work because there's no way he's close enough.

"Then, there's Level Two. Level Two is like a combination of Level Four and Level One. It can use a smaller amount of chakra than Level Four needs, but it then has to sift through all the chakra trails and if the person you're trying to find hasn't been around for any more than a week, or has traveled too far away, there's no way it will work.

"And, finally, there's Level Three, which doesn't work if you haven't had physical contact with the person you're looking for in more than like five or six months. You see, when you make physical contact with someone, your chakras mix a little; part of their chakra is left in you, and part of your chakra is left in them. This makes it much easier to find them because mixed chakras fade much slower than normal chakras. However, again, there's still a chance that they've travel too far," Emiko explained.

"Does Level Five has that problem as well?" Sakura asked.

"What problem? Someone traveling too far?" Sakura nodded. "Of course. All the levels do, but with each level, the distance increases. For instance, Level Five goes way farther than Level One. However, there is no such thing as a perfect jutsu. Each type of jutsu will have it's disadvantage; distance is the disadvantage for tracking."

The rest of the walk to "Valley of the End" was pretty quiet. Even once they got there, silence surrounded them as Emiko knelt down on one knee and placed her hand on the ground, closing her eyes. She knew that, physically speaking, she shouldn't be doing this . . . she wasn't even close to recovering, but she couldn't just let Sasuke go and sit around, hoping he'd come back. He was, after all, her little brother.

Emiko concentrated, ignoring all the protest her body was shouting at her, and she began to see bits and pieces of chakra. She figured she would find some, considering the battle between Naruto and Sasuke must have been a great battle, spilling more chakra than usual because of the Kyuubi as well as Sasuke's curse mark. However, the only traces of chakra she found belonged to the Kyuubi and Naruto. Emiko sighed, standing back up.

"It's no use. Sasuke's chakra is either completely gone, or completely covered up by Naruto's chakra," Emiko said.

"So, that's it, huh?" Sakura asked sadly. "There's no hope of finding him . . ."

Emiko could clearly hear Naruto's teeth ground together. He didn't just _want_ to find Sasuke, he was determined to go through with it. Emiko was, too.

"Not exactly . . . there's still Level Five," Emiko replied thoughtfully.

"I thought you said you couldn't do Level Five yet?" Itachi questioned.

"She _can't_ ," Jun said firmly. "Last time she attempted it, she nearly killed herself . . . and that was when you had _all_ your strength, Emiko. You have hardly any strength left in you at all. If you try to do it now, there's no doubt you'll end up dead."

"I have to try, Jun-sensei . . ."

Again, no one said anything as Emiko prepared herself. She made sure both feet were planted firmly in the ground, shoulder-length apart, reworked her breathing to take slow, deep breaths, and canceled out any other sounds beside her breathing. She knew this wasn't going to be easy . . . because everything Jun had said was completely true . . . but she had to try.

Emiko pictured exactly what the jutsu was doing. Visualizing her jutsus as she preformed them always seemed to help. She visualized pulling out some of her chakra in a form like a string, basically. As she did, she could feel the last few drops of chakra her body still held, leave. Immediately, she collapsed, gasping for air and spitting out blood. Before she could even think, Itachi was kneeling at her side. His arm was around her and there was a very worried and somewhat . . . what was that, exactly? disapproving? . . . expression on his face.

"It's not fair . . ." Emiko said quietly. "Finding you . . . that was supposed to be the happiest moment of my life. And, well, it was . . . but, now this?"

"Emi, don't worry . . . we'll find him, okay? But, for now, you need your rest."

Emiko looked up at him, tears in her eyes. The happiest moment in her life had turned into one of the worst in mere minutes. Itachi wiped away her tears, kissed her softly, then picked her up bridal style and everyone began walking home. Emiko smiled a weak smile . . . at least Itachi would be by her side to help her through this. Emiko glanced back. As will Fumio, Kimi, Jun, and even Kakashi, Naruto, and Sakura . . .

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Oh. My. Gosh. IT'S OVERRRRRRRRRRR! Can you believe it? Because I certainly can't! Wow, wow, wowzers! So, what did you guys think? Did you like the finale? I hope so! I'm going to miss you guys so freaking much! I'm also going to, of course, miss Emiko and Itachi! And Jun, Fumio, Kimi, Naruto, Sasuke, Sakura, and Kakashi . . . We'll see them all again in the sequel, though. (: And I hope to see all of you in the sequel as well! It won't be out for a while, but I'll add a little note to this story (as chapter twelve, so to speak) when it's out, so you'll all get notified by . I still can't believe it! I hope you've enjoyed the journey as much as I have. (:
> 
> Until we meet again,
> 
> hugs and kisses and tons of love,
> 
> -Chelsea(:


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